2000 - Threatened Birds

 

        With the arrival of humans in New Zealand some 1,000 years ago, many of our bird species became extinct and more continue to be threatened by the destruction of habitats, introduction of weeds and animal pests.
        New Zealand has become known for its expertise in threatened species management, including better pest control, extending protected areas on land and sea, and restoring offshore island sanctuaries. This work, which continues to be done, has had a marked effect on re-building the populations of these national treasures.
        This stamp issue featured six New Zealand and one French threatened bird, including one of our national icons - the kiwi – and the world’s heaviest and the only flightless parrot – the kākāpō. The New Zealand birds were selected with the assistance of the Department of Conservation.

The Stamps.

The seven New Zealand stamps.

40c 'Lesser Kestrel (Joint issue)' 

The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European range which is why it was selected as the French bird in this joint issue. The genus name derives from Late Latin falx, falcis, a sickle, referencing the claws of the bird and the species name commemorates the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Naumann.

40c - 'Orange-fronted Parakeet.'

Malherbe's parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi), usually known as the orange-fronted parakeet or in Māori, kākāriki karaka, is a small parrot endemic to New Zealand. In New Zealand it is always known as the orange-fronted parakeet, a name it shares with a species from Central America, while in the rest of the world it is known as Malherbe's parakeet. Restricted to a few valleys in the South Island and four offshore islands, its population declined to around 200 in the 1990s, and it is now considered critically endangered.

80c 'Black Stilt'

The black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae), or kakī (Māori), is found only in New Zealand, and is one of the world's rarest wading birds, with 132 adults surviving in the wild as of August 2018. Adult kakī have distinctive black plumage, long pink legs, and a long thin black bill. Black stilts largely breed in the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island and are threatened by introduced feral cats, ferrets, and hedgehogs as well as habitat degradation from hydroelectric dams, agriculture, and invasive weeds.

$1.10 'Stewart Island Fernbird'

The New Zealand fernbird is a rich brown above and white below, with brown spots on both the throat and breast. Early settlers called it the "swamp sparrow" no doubt because of its colouration. The tail feathers are thin, dark brown, and spine-like. The birds reach a length of 18 cm (7 in) – as measured from the tip of their beak to end of their tail. However, almost half of that is tail.

There are five sub-species, of which all of them rare, this one being the Stewart Island Fernbird.

$1.20 'Kākāpō'

The kakapo is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot. It is the world's only flightless parrot, the world's heaviest parrot too. The kakapo is critically endangered; the total known adult population is 142 living individuals, all of which are named. The introduction of predators such as cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats during European colonisation almost wiped out the kakapo. Conservation efforts began in the 1890s, but they were not very successful until the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery Programme in 1995. 

$1.50 'North Island Weka'

The weka (also known as Maori hen or woodhen) (Gallirallus australis) is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence. Weka are sturdy brown birds, about the size of a chicken. As omnivores, they feed mainly on invertebrates and fruit. Weka usually lay eggs between August and January; both sexes help to incubate. 

Weka are classed as a vulnerable species. The Department of Conservation's weka recovery plan, approved in 1999, aims to improve the conservation status of threatened weka, clarify the status of data deficient weka, maintain the non-threatened status of other weka, and eventually restore all weka to their traditional ranges as a significant component of the ecosystems.

$1.80 'Okarito Brown Kiwi (Joint issue)'
The Okarito kiwi (Apteryx rowi) also known as the rowi or Okarito brown kiwi, is a member of the kiwi family Apterygidae, described as new to science in 2003. The species is part of the brown kiwi complex and is morphologically very similar to other members of that complex. It is found in a restricted area of the Okarito forest on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island and has a population of about only 400 birds. Some Okarito brown kiwi may live up to 100 years.

First Day Cover - 4 November 2000. 

2000 Threatened Birds Limited Edition.

Limited edition collectable containing exclusive stamp products not available anywhere else.

 Set of Maximum Cards.
Pre-paid postcards featuring a stamp on the front and artwork from the stamp issue.

Joint Issue with France.

'Lesser Kestrel (Joint issue)'

Both the French and New Zealand stamps. 

 

'Okarito Brown Kiwi (Joint issue)'

Both the French and New Zealand stamps.

Joint Issue with France First Day Cover - 4 November 2000.
All four joint issue stamps with cancels from both countries.


Joint Issue Limited Edition.


Technical Information.
Date of issue: 4 November 2000.
The number of stamps: Seven.
Denominations and designs: 40c Orange-fronted Parakeet, 40c Lesser Kestrel, 80c Black Stilt, $1.10 Stewart Island Fernbird, $1.20 Kakapo, $1.50 North Island Weka, and $1.80 Okarito Brown Kiwi.
Stamps and first day covers designed: Paul Martinson of Masterton.
Printer and process:  Southern Colour Print of Dunedin, by offset lithography.
The number of colours: Four process colours.
Stamp size and format: 30mm x 40mm, horizontal.
Paper type: 104gsm red phosphor stamp paper.
The number of stamps per sheet: 25.
Perforation: 14 x 14.
Special blocks: Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least two stamps from a sheet. Barcode, value blocks and logo blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least two stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in both A and B formats.
Period of sale: These stamps remained on sale until 3 November 2001.

Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ

You can visit their website and Online Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/

Information & images for this post came from.

New Zealand Post (Stamps)