Birds from Finland

Self-adhesive postage stamps

The new self-adhesive, non-denominated first class stamps, issued on 15 January in Finland, depict provincial birds; the cuckoo of Northern Karelia, the lark of Central Ostrobothnia and the Siberian jay of Kainuu. The stamps were designed by Mr Pekka Piippo. The stamp pictures are collages. In the stamps, Piippo has used both travel pictures of his own, and pictures of stuffed birds by Mr Antti Huittinen.

Non-denominated stamps

The new non-denominated stamps are so called roll stamps: they are issued in rolls of a hundred stamps, packed in small boxes. The lark, the Siberian jay and the cuckoo are in the same roll one after another. A roll of non-denominated bird stamps is priced at 57 euro.

Cuckoo

The cuckoo (Cuculus conorus) is known for its cuckooing and its habit of laying eggs in nests of other species and leaving its chicks for others to feed. It is a middle-sized, slim bird with a long tail and sharp wings. On top it is blue-grey and underneath it has dark stripes. The male and female look almost the same. There is also a more rare, reddish brown version of the female. The cuckoo thrives in all kinds of forests. The cuckoo population has diminished slightly during the past years but the cuckoo still thrives throughout Finland.

Lark

The lark (Alauda arvensis) is one of the earliest migrants. The first larks usually return to Finland in the beginning of March but occasionally one can spot a lark as early as in February. This forerunner of the spring is slightly bigger than the sparrow, light brown and dark-striped. It has a rather long tail and wide wings. The lark flies up in the air to sing: it warbles for a long time staying in place and then suddenly swoops down.

Siberian jay

The Siberian jay (Perisoreus infoustus) is a long-tailed crow bird of the size of a thrush. It can be recognised by the rust-red patches on the wings and by the reddish brown tail, the middle feathers of which are dark. The Siberian jay has previously nested throughout Finland but nowadays it is considered a northern species. The population in the old southern spruce forests has become fragmented and diminished. The Siberian jay is a resident bird that moves no longer than to the adjacent forest, if construction and felling work worsen the living conditions in its home forest.
Issue: Finland, 15 January 2003

More information

Postage Stamps 2003
Stamps of Finland
Angel and sleigh
Lapland
Juniper
Nordic stamp