Stamps > Africa Stamps > Namibia Stamps > SAPOA - Joint Stamp Issue : Bird Sheetlet & FDC

Namibia Stamps : SAPOA Sheetlet

( National Birds of Southern Africa countries )

Date of Issue : 11 October 2004

African Fish Eagle (Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe), Peregrine Falcon (Angola), Cattle Egret (Botswana),

Blue Crane (National Bird South Africa), Purple-Crested Lourie (Swaziland), Bar-tailed Trogon (Malawi Bird of choice)

Quantities Printed by each Country :

Artwork: Anja Denker
Stamp format: Hexagon
Stamp sheet size: 95 x 170mm
Paper: Stamp paper 110 gsm. (Sopal)
Gum: PVA
Quantity printed for Namibia : 10,000 Souvenir sheets
Colour: CMYK
Phosphor: no phosphor used
Perforation Gauge: 14 x 14
Printing process: Offset Lithography
Printed by: Joh Enschedé Security Printing, The Netherlands

The birds depicted on the stamps are:

Blue Crane (anthropoides paradisea) 100- 105cm
(National Bird of South Africa)
South Africa’s national bird is found only in southern africa and neighbouring territories, including Etosha and adjacent areas.This beautiful greyish- blue bird has an unusually large head and long, slender neck and the drooping, dark feathers are elongation of the innerwing feathers.It is usually found in small groups and during breeding season mainly in pairs in freshwater areas and open grasslands and has also adapted to agricultural lands.

African Fish Eagle (haliaeetus vocifer) 63-73cm
(National Bird of Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe)
The Fish Eagle, characterised by its gleaming black, white and chestnut plumage, has become the best-known bird of prey in Africa.These birds prey mainly live on fish which they catch by swooping down at a shallow angle, grasping the fish in their talons and then lifting off to carry it to their perch to devour there. The females are larger than the males and the immature are a mottled brown splashed with white, often showing a brown streak through the eye.The evocative cry of the fish eagle is probably the best known of any African bird and is heard most frequently at dawn and at dusk.

Peregrine Falcon (falco peregrinus) 34-38cm
(National Bird of Angola)
Peregrine falcons are distributed almost worldwide, with no less than 3 recognised races. The race in Africa is the smallest and is named falco peregrinus minor. The peregrine falcon has a black crown, heavy black moustachials, bluish grey upperparts and underparts that white with black bars. It is an extremely powerful, agile and fast raptor in flight, with recorded speeds of more than 200km per hour. Their preferred habitat are steep cliffs and high gorges, but nests may also be found on low cliffs and in arid areas like the Namib desert.

Cattle Egret (bubulcus ibis) 54- 55cm
(National Bird of Botswana)
The cattle egret “Mmamoleane” in Setswana, is a small, stocky bird which is often seen following cattle or game. They are a species of ibis and belong to the heron family. They are common birds found almost throughout the African savannah country and Asia, northern Australia and central America. They feed on insects and even small fish and aquatic species. Their overall colour is white and the head carries plumes. The iris and space between the eye and beak are both yellow; legs and feet are olive-brown. When breeding, the plumes on head, throat and mantle are buff (brownish-yellow) or tan colour, legs are a dull yellow to red colour, the iris turns red and the beak orange-red.

Purple-Crested Lourie (tauraco porphyreolophus) 42- 46cm
(National Bird of Swaziland)
Louries are unique to Africa, and in the southern continent, four species, of which the purple-crested lourie is one, occur. They have a purplish-bluish crest, tail and tail, which appear black in poor light. The heavy beak and the red around the eye are characteristic to this particular species. It has red flight-feathers and the whole wing is red when seen in flight. These birds are shy and furtive and prefer dry forests and open woodland. They occur in pairs and family parties and large numbers may gather in fruiting trees.

Bar-tailed Trogon (apaloderma vittatum) 29- 34cm
(Bird of choice for Malawi – they apparently have no national bird)
Trogons are brilliantly coloured bird which live in forests. The bar-tailed trogon is a fairly common resident in Malawi. It is similar to the Narina Trogon with emerald green upperparts and throat, yellow bill, bright red breast and belly, but has silvery undertail feathers which are barred black. They are found in montane and submontane evergreen forests where they live in holes in trees and hawk aerial insects.

SAPOA First Day Cover with African Fish Eagle stamp

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