Collecting Birds on Stamps

This Tufted Puffin from the USPS landed in my inbox this afternoon.

I've added lots of the info from the press release, as I thought many of you would be interested.

'Both birds sport the striking tufts of long, yellow feathers that give the tufted puffin its name, plumage that only appears during breeding season.

Puffins, also known as sea parrots because of their large bills, are diving birds in the auk family. The tufted puffin is the largest of the three puffin species, standing roughly 15 inches tall. Found on the open ocean, islands and coastal areas of the North Pacific, the tufted puffin’s true home is the sea, as it hunts underwater and spends most of its life far from land. The birds have adapted to an unusually broad range of ocean habitats, raising their young anywhere from southern California to arctic Alaska. In the U.S., tufted puffins can be also found in Oregon and Washington.

Deep Water Diners
Tufted puffins catch their meals underwater. They dive to a maximum depth of 200 feet, and then use their wings to propel themselves through the water, looking as if they are flying through the sea. In addition to squid and crustaceans, most tufted puffins dine on bottom fish, indicating that they spend some time searching the seafloor for food. Once the birds have caught their prey, they consume it underwater as well.

During breeding season, male and female tufted puffins congregate in a breeding colony, usually located on an offshore island or cliff edge. Each pair works together to dig a burrow that can reach more than 5 feet long. The female then lays one egg, which both parents incubate. The chick hatches after about six weeks, transforming the parents into a fish delivery service. Tufted puffins travel up to 60 miles in search of food for their young, carrying a line of up to 20 small fish tucked crosswise in their bills at a time. After six or seven weeks, the young birds announce their independence by flying or walking into the sea. They may not return to land for several years. With breeding season over, the parents also leave the colony for the open ocean. Some 800 tufted puffin breeding colonies can now be found in North America.'

Wow nice to see so many birds

Here are some from my Puffin collection..I just love this bird: http://somphilately.blogspot.in/2012/08/puffins.html

Edited By Julia Lee on 25/01/2013 10:36:36

Nice collection, Som!

(And, off topic, what a cute kid you have!)

And I should probably plug today's blog post, shouldn't I?

Seeing as it's on Fiji's complicated bird surcharges.

Thanks a Lot Julia

Here is a set 4v From Fiji:

Edited By som ghatak on 25/01/2013 11:45:52

That hasn't worked, Som. Do you want to try again? You can edit posts for a limited amount of time.

If it doesn't work again, post on this thread again, and I'll come sort it out.

Sorry i donno what went wrong..

Here is the set: **LINK**

Let me know if you can view it

I can see it.

I really like the four bird stamps that Pierre Gandon produced for France in 1960. And there's even one for all you puffin fanciers.

The latest puffin stamps from the USA are quite appealing. Maybe the artist of that stamp, Robert Giusti, got his inspriation from John James Audubons' well known painting of the same birds http://en.wahooart.com/A55A04/w.nsf/Opra/BRUE-8CEG7D

Edited By Julia Lee on 28/01/2013 09:48:51