FDC, cover and Philatelic／enveloppe et philatélie

Saturday, May 19, 2012

New Issue: Owls of Taiwan Postage Stamps (Issue of 2012)／Les nouveautés: Les hibous du Taiwan (l'Édition de 2012)

Date of Issue: 6. 6. 2012

1. Asio flammeus (NT$5): About 37-42 centimeters in length. It has a pale yellow facial disc, dark circles around the eyes and small ear-tufts. Its backside plumage is yellowish brown with vertical black streaks, whereas its chest and abdomen are pale yellow with vertical brown streaks. In Taiwan this is a migratory bird that overwinters on the island, but it is not common. Its habitat includes open agricultural lands and grasslands.
2. Otus spilocephalus (NT$5): About 15-17 centimeters in length. It has a yellowish brown facial disc, a yellow beak and prominent ear-tufts. Its crown feathers are light brown with black spots, and it has prominent milk white circles on its neck. The body is mostly light brown in color, with an off-white belly that has a dense array of light brown stripes. Its range stretches from low-altitude to high-altitude areas, and it is found mostly in forest environments.
3. Strix leptogrammica (NT$10): About 50-58 centimeters in length. Its facial disc is black around the eyes and gradually fades to white and then darkens to reddish-brown toward the edges. It lacks ear-tufts. There is a dark reddish-brown coloration from its head to backside. Its neck and throat are white, and the abdomen is light brown and covered with dark brown fine horizontal bars. It inhabits at the edge of woodlands or in the glades of mixed forests.
4. Ninox scutulata (NT$25): About 22-28 centimeters in length. It has a round head and lacks both ear-tufts and prominent facial disc. Its plumage is largely dark brown, with a belly that is beige with randomly scattered dark brown spots. Its population in Taiwan includes both migratory and non-migratory groups. It lives primarily in low- and mid-elevation mountainous regions.