Republic of the Philippines - Stamps & Postal History

 

RP Issues of 2007

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2007, December 12.  Philippine Birds Definitive Issue

(Actual First Day for the 3p:  December 19)

(Actual First Day for the 4p:  December 28)

(Actual First Day for the 8p:  December 17)

Litho Offset.  Amstar Company, Inc.  Perf. 13 1/2

Singles, Sheets of 100  (10 x 10); (3p, 4p, 8p); Se-tenant Blocks of 4, Sheets of 100 (10 x 10)

 

  

 

 

   3p   Rufous Hornbill  -  Singles  (750,000)

   4p   Eastern Crimson Sunbird  -  Singles  (125,000)

4p Reprint marked "2008"  (May 6, 2008)  (500,000)

   8p   Eurasian Hoopoe  -  Singles  (1,750,000)

 

Se-tenant B/4  (937,500)

 

  26p   Great-billed Parrot

  26p   Philippine Cockatoo

  26p   Blue-napped Parrot

  26p   Azure-rumped Parrot

26p x 4 Reprint marked "2008"  (September 23, 2008) 

            (First order 250,000, Second order 187,500 - total of 437,000 SB/4) 

26p x 4 Reprint marked "2008A"  (December 22, 2008)

           (First order 125,000, Second order 250,000 - total of 375,000 SB/4) 

Designer and Graphic Artist:  Corazon T. Loza

Design Coordinator:  Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak

Layout Artist:  Robinson C. Cruza

 

Designs:  All pictures taken from the book "A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines" by Robert S. Kennedy, Pedro C. Gonzales, Edward C. Dickinson, Hector C. Miranda, Jr., and Timothy H. Fisher.

 

First Day Covers:  Manila

 


PHILIPPINE BIRDS

3p  Rufous Hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax).  Also known as Philippine Hornbill and, locally, as Kalaw, is a large species of hornbill endemic to the Philippines, where it occurs in primary, mature secondary and disturbed forests on 11 islands: Luzon and Marinduque, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Panaon, Biliran, Calicoan and Buad, Dinagat, Siargao, Mindanao (plus Balut, Bucas and Talicud) and Basilan.  It is still common locally, notably in the Sierra Madre of Luzon, but continues to suffer from substantial hunting pressure and widespread loss of habitat. The bill of the nominate subspecies is all-red, while the bills of the subspecies semigaleatus and mindanensis are pale yellow on the distal half. 

4p  Eastern Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja).   Crimson Sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India to Indonesia and the Philippines. Two eggs or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in forest and cultivation.  They are very tiny, only 11cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.  The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

8p  Eurasian Hoopoe  (Upupa epops).   Eurasian Hoopoe is a medium-sized bird. Plumage on the chest varies from pinkish-brown to chestnut. The broad, rounded wings, back, and tail are barred black and white. The spectacular erectile crest is the same color as the head and tipped with black. The bill is long, slender, and de-curved; modified musculature allows it to be opened when the bird probes for food. Hoopoes have short legs.  The hoopoe is a confiding bird and can be found near human habitation. The crest is usually held flat but raised when the bird alights or is excited. The flight is distinctive, with erratic, butterfly-like flapping.  http://www.birding.in/birds/Upupiformes/Upupidae/eurasian_hoopoe.htm

26p  Great-billed Parrot  (Tanygnathus megalorynchos).    The Great-billed Parrot is a medium-sized, up to 38cm long, green parrot with massive red bill, yellow iris, blackish shoulders, olive green back, pale blue rump and yellowish green below. Both sexes are similar. The female is smaller than male.  They are distributed to tropical forests with diet consisting mainly of fruits.  Widespread throughout its large range, the Great-billed Parrot is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 

26p  Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia).   The Philippine cockatoo is such a beautiful parrot, with perfect creamy white plumage, it is of little wonder that it is threatened by collection for the pet trade. It has contrasting orangey-red feathers on the underside of the tail, blending into a deep yellow, and its crest feathers and cheeks are tinged with varying amounts of pale yellow and rose pink. The bill is greyish-white, and males have dark brown irises, while those of the female are brownish-red.  It is a noisy bird that makes loud raucous calls; a sound that is almost deafening when several birds are calling simultaneously.  http://www.arkive.org/philippine-cockatoo/cacatua-haematuropygia/info.html

26p   Blue-naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis).   The Blue-naped Parrot is found throughout the Philippines.  It is a medium size parrot (31 cm), primarily green except for a light blue rear crown and nape, pale blue lower back and rump, scalloped shoulders with orange-brown on black coverts, and blackish underwings with green underwing coverts.   It is found in secondary forests to scattered trees up to 1000m. Flock size is usually under a dozen. They feed on berries, seeds, nuts and grain. Habitat loss and trapping have made them scarce on most islands except Mindoro and Palawan.  

26p   Azure-rumped Parrot (Tanygnathus sumatranus).   The Blue-backed Parrot is also known as Müller's (or Mueller's) Parrot, or Azure Rumped Parrot. It is a parrot found the on the islands around the Philippines and Sulawesi (Indonesia).  It is of medium size (32cm), basically green with yellow-streaked wings, a blue rump, and blue wing bends. The head, mantle, wings and tail are darker-green, the belly and collar are lighter green. It is sexually dimorphic (most parrots aren't), with the male having a red beak and the female a pale yellow or horn colored beak. 

 

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Issues of 2007