2014 Ross Dependency - Penguins of Antarctica.

       
       Antarctica is a cold remote place few people other than scientists get to visit. But with many people there is a fasciation with animals and scenery from this continuant. That is why each year the annual Ross Dependency issue is so well received by stamp collectors.   

         Penguins are the most commonly found birds in Antarctica, and the Ross Dependency 2014 stamp issue features five unique breeds of penguin that choose to call this cold, dry continent home. The stamps are unusual in that they round instead of the usual rectangle shape.

         Truly flightless birds, penguins have evolved traits that make them perfect for icy conditions such as those of Antarctica. While many different colonies of penguins live in Antarctica, the majority of the world’s penguins prefer to inhabit other cooler waters in the Southern Hemisphere. A layer of fat under their feathers keeps them warm and a white belly acts as a camouflage keeping them safe from predators when swimming under ice.

                        

80c - Emperor Penguins.                                                                           $1.40 - Adélie Penguins.

80c - Emperor Penguins.

The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the largest and heaviest of all living penguin species. They can grow to approximately 115cm tall (3 foot 7 inches tall) and weigh as much as 40kg. The dorsal side and head are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches. Like all penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.

The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, emperor penguins trek 50–120 km (31–75 mi) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony. The lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age. 

$1.40 - Adélie Penguins.

The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a species of penguin common along the entire Antarctic coast, which is their only residence. An efficient and sleek swimmer, the Adélie penguin is the smallest and most abundant Antarctic species. With over three million breeding pairs, the Adélie penguin has experienced a population boom, with more than a 50 per cent increase in numbers over the last twenty years. 

 They are named after Adélie Land, in turn named for the wife of French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville who discovered these penguins in 1840.

                           

$2.00 - Macaroni Penguins.                                                                         $2.50 - Gentoo Penguins.

$2.00 - Macaroni Penguins.

The macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. The large, crested macaroni penguin is named for its distinctive yellow/orange crest feathers on its forehead, characteristic of the ‘macaroni’ hat worn by 18th century men.

One of six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the royal penguin, and some authorities consider the two to be a single species. It bears a distinctive yellow crest, and the face and upperparts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts. Adults weigh on average 5.5 kg (12 lb) and are 70 cm (28 in) in length. The male and female are similar in appearance, although the male is slightly larger and stronger with a relatively larger bill. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine lifestyle. They also have red eyes.

 It has an unusual breeding habit of laying two eggs, the first being much smaller than the second. For unknown reasons, the smaller egg only hatches if the larger egg fails to produce a chick.

$2.50 - Gentoo Penguins.

The gentoo penguin has the most prominent tail of the penguin species. As the gentoo penguin waddles on land, its tail sticks out behind, sweeping from side to side. It is amongst several species of penguin that chooses its mate based on the nest. Some gentoo penguins will try to steal larger stones from other nests, resulting in noisy disputes.

The long-tailed Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a penguin species in the genus Pygoscelis, most closely associated with the Adélie penguin (P. adeliae) and the chinstrap penguin (P. antarcticus). The first scientific description was made in 1781 by Johann Reinhold Forster on the basis of Falkland Islands. They call in a variety of ways, but the most frequently heard is a loud trumpeting which is emitted with its head thrown back

 $3.00 - Chinstrap Penguins.

The chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, Deception Island, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island and Balleny. Their name derives from the narrow black band under their heads which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets, making them one of the most easily identified types of penguin. Other names for them are "ringed penguins", "bearded penguins", and "stonecracker penguins" due to their harsh call.

Chinstrap penguins live in some of the largest colonies, with over 100,000 breeding pairs at some locations. Unlike other penguin species, mating partners form a strong bond. They share the parenting duties and make sure their chicks are fed equally. They tend to return to the same nest site with the same partner to breed again year after year.

Ross Dependency and Greenland joint issue: From Pole to Pole.

For the first time, the Ross Dependency is issuing a joint stamp issue with Greenland. Ross Dependency and Greenland are literally ’poles apart’, with the South Pole sitting at 90° south and the North Pole sitting at 90° north in Greenland. The wildlife at the Arctic is very different from the Antarctic, with several species of mammals, including Polar Bears and Arctic Foxes that could not survive at the South Pole.
This special joint issue includes a miniature sheet (featuring the $3.00 Ross Dependency stamp and a replica of Greenland’s Polar Bear stamp) and one miniature sheet first day cover. The first day cover features a special ‘From Pole to Pole’ date stamp. The Greenland miniature sheet shows the Polar Bear stamp and a replica of New Zealand's Penguin stamp. 

The Greenland Miniature Sheet. 



The New Zealand Miniature Sheet. 



The First Day Cover.