The magnificent white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is the provincial bird of Åland. Swedish artist Lars Sjööblom has created the stamp design, which is based on a photo shot by Anders Blomdahl. The densest population of white-tailed eagles is found in Föglö in the Åland archipelago. As an endangered species in Åland, the white-tailed eagle was close to extinction in the 1970s due to environmental toxins but, today, the population has recovered well in Åland. The white-tailed eagle is a fine symbol of successful nature conservation.

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The ptarmigans look like small pheasants. Their plumage changes three times during the course of the year. In autumn, it is greyish speckled with white on the top, and white underparts. In winter, it is pure white, except for the black tail. In summer, the feathers on the top have brown and black spots, the underparts and the tip of the wings remain white - with a slightly browner plumage for the female while males are identifiable by a bright red wattle above the eye.

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The Robin is a small red breasted bird found throughout Spain and Andorra.

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The postage stamp depicts the barn swallow against the background of floral ornaments.

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The Austrian edition of the EUROPA stamp shows a white-tailed eagle, which also forms part of the coat of arms of Austria. With a wingspan of over two metres, the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is one of the biggest birds of prey in Europe. It had been wiped out in Austria since the mid-20th century, but in recent years has been successfully reintroduced in the east of the country, including in the Danube-Auen National Park. It has nonetheless been added to Austria’s “red list” as at risk of extinction.
The greyish-brown white-tailed eagle is distinguished from the golden eagle and the imperial eagle by its characteristic featherless, yellow legs and its yellow beak. The special stamp shows a young bird, the colour of the beak still not fully developed. Particularly noteworthy is the short white retrice, as the tail feathers are called. In flight, the white-tailed eagle can also be recognised by its broad, deeply fingered wings. White-tailed eagles build mighty eyries for their brood, which are used all year round. In order to hunt they need to be near bodies of water, from which they catch fish and water birds. They will not turn their noses up at eels either, which puts them at particular risk due to illegal poisoned bait and hunting ammunition containing lead. Traps, the destruction of their habitat and collisions with vehicles or power lines also constitute significant dangers.

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The White Stork is a national bird of Belarus, a symbol of national purity, the sun, peace and good. Thanks to the traditional patronage of the local population, white storks are not afraid of humans and they often can be seen near our dwellings. The birds arrive from warm lands at the end of March; therefore they are associated with spring and the beginning of a new life.

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For this issue we have chosen two colourful birds, the Golden oriole and the jay. The bird's nests are put in the spotlight with this issue. With an app, you can discover the song of these birds. Seen here is the Jay next to its nest.

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Vivac (lat.Vanellus vanellus) is a species of bird belonging to the genus of squid or vivipara (lat.Charadriiformes). It lives on fields, pastures, on the banks of the river, near swamps and damp habitats with poor vegetation. It is kept near water, in wet meadows and fields where it feeds on small invertebrates, such as various types of insects such as, worms and snails. Nests are mostly common in agricultural fields, grasslands, pastures and wetlands. The female nests four greenish eggs with black spots in their nest. It is not considered a globally endangered species, while it is estimated that the global population is declining. The main cause of the threat is the destruction of habitats where the nesting occurs.

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Motifs on “Europa 2019 – National birds” issues are the great tit (Parus major) and the Eurasian blue tit (Parus caeruleus). They have short and firm beaks, specially constructed tongues, short wings and strong claws. They are lively and cheerful and often can be seen in gardens and groves.

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The Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcon were the chosen National Birds for this year's EUROPA Stamps. Here you will find the head of the Golden Eagle.

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The bird depicted on the stamp is the: "Bonasa bonasia". Designed by: Viktor Paunov

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There are more than 50 gull species around the world and, in Croatia, the yellow-legged gull nests on distant and uninhabited isles and islets in the Adriatic sea. It used to be considered a subspecies of L. cachinnans michahellis, but nowadays it is categorized as a separate species. It is between 55 and 67 cm long and its wingspan varies between 130 and 150 cm. This species is not endangered, but stable; however, it is protected by law, so locals are not allowed to take its eggs.

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“National Birds of Cyprus”- The €0,64 stamp depicts Bonelli’s eagle the only species of eagle in Cyprus. Some 40-50 couples permanently live and breed in the Pafos forest and other areas of the island.

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The stamp captures the view of a winter landscape with two common kingfishers. The kingfishers are brightly coloured birds with a turquoise blue head and wings, and a rusty brown belly, a brown-and-white stripe stretching from the long dark bill to the back of the head, and white feathers marking right below the bill. The kingfishers weigh approximately 40 g and measure 15 to 17cm. The wingspan is approximately 25cm. The kingfishers love the reclusive life spent mostly on the banks of streams with calm and clear water, where they are also protected against the wind. A kingfisher needs to eat its body weight in fish each day.

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The Danish minisheet depicts the mute swan, which has been the national bird of Denmark since 1984.

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The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a passerine with blackish blue upperparts, off-white underparts, rufous forehead, chin and throat and a deeply forked tail, of which up to 200,000 pairs live in Estonia. It mainly nests in man-made structures, such as stables, attics and under the eaves of buildings, where it builds a nest of mud, clay, stalks and saliva. The Estonian Ornithological Society picked the barn swallow for its bird of the year 2011. The rapidly changing world and living environment sparks concern about the welfare of the national bird. The population of the barn swallow is falling due to the contraction of suitable nesting places and major changes in European agriculture. The long-distance traveller is also influenced by lack of food during its migration, the widening Sahara Desert, climate change and human activity in their wintering area in South Africa. In the barn swallow year, information is given about the life and ecological importance of the species and about how everyone can best contribute to the nesting of the national bird in Estonia.

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The Cepphus grylle family, to which the Faroese black guillemot belongs, is divided into 5 sub-species in the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. The Faroese sub-species, Cepphus grylle faeroeensis, only breeds in the Faroe Islands.

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The graphic designer legend Erik Bruun took up the challenge and designed two stamps featuring the Finnish national bird, the whooper swan. EUROPA: The Whooper Swan will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet containing 2 different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.

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In a tricolour composition, evocative of the French flag, Tatsuya Oka, a Japanese artist, chose to symbolize the sunshine sparkles in spring and beginning of summer, and the flights full of life and energy of the swallows, through a graphic style inspired by origami.

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According to the legend of Tbilisi; during a hunting trip king Vakhtang Gorgassali sent his royal falcon to catch a pheasant he had shoot. After a while, he lost the falcon out of sight, so together with his retinue, he decided to go and search for both birds. When they arrived at the riverbank, both animals were found dead with severe burns. The King quickly noticed that the water coming out from the source of the river was hot. Impressed by this unexpected discovery, he decided to build a city and name it Tbilisi, in reference to the numerous sulphureted hot springs, coming out from the ground (“tbili” means warm in Georgian).

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Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) - The bird is common in many parts of Europe including Germany. The picture on the stamp is taken from John Gould's (1804-1881) book.

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The Barbary Partridge, Alectoris Barbara, belongs to the family Phasianidae, and is distinguished from other partridges by its blue-grey bib framed with chestnut brown. It is described as having ‘a brown crown/ventral nape which shows up well on raising, resembling a Mohican haircut’. The partridge’s plump body and short bill are typical of Gallinaceous birds, which include pheasants and grouse. Gibraltar’s Barbary Partridge will never be prized for its song which is described as a ‘series of shrill, broken monosyllable clucks with interposed double notes’ (scan the stamp with the Cee-app to listen to the bird).

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Dimension of the stamps: 35Χ45 mm.

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Rock Ptarmigan and Mallard on the G654 stamp.

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The Linnet (Linaria cannabina) was once one of Guernsey’s most common birds but only small numbers can be spotted now around the Bailiwick’s headlands, nesting and feeding in coastal scrub and gorse.

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The Hungarian miniature sheet contains two different stamps. The one here depicts the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) the other stamp depicts the great egret (Ardea alba).

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The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is a bird of prey breeding in Northern Europe and Asia. The eagle became almost extinct in Europe, but preservation activities have made it possible to rebuild some nest sites. Males are smaller than female birds. The eagle reaches sexual maturity four to five years old. The eagle population in Iceland is slowly recovering and counted 76 adult couples in 2017, having more than tripled over 50 years. Most eagles nest in West Iceland. They catch birds and fish, even taking lambs and seals when the opportunity arises. The eagle was accorded full status as protected species in 1913.

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The Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) is a seabird with slender narrow pointed wings and a long forked tail and pointed bill. Described by BirdWatch Ireland as ‘Perhaps the most graceful of our breeding terns, they are confined to just a few east coast colonies.’

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The striking Stonechat bird which forms our EU stamp from the Isle of Man Wildlife collection is perfectly captured by photographer Brian Liggins and is our contribution to the EUROPA group of stamp nations 'Birds' themed collaborative project for 2019.

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In Jersey, kingfishers are often seen around the reservoirs and marinas. In Greek mythology, the kingfisher is known as the halcyon bird, originally a reference to calm and fine weather; they are said to have the power to calm the sea. Part of the innovative 2019 PostEurop Bird Project, both stamps can be scanned with a smartphone using the free CEE app to hear the bird sounds. The stamps have been printed with a topaz blue metallic hot foil, giving the typography an iridescent finish.

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The Latvian national bird is the Baltā cielava or White Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

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As Liechtenstein does not have a national bird of its own, Philately has decided to depict the impressive golden eagle and is presenting it with the two motifs “Golden Eagle Approaching” and “Golden Eagle on the Lookout” (face value: CHF 1.50 each) as a combined print on a small sheet of 10 stamps. The king of the air, as the bird is also often called has dark brown feathers with a lighter golden brown head and neck. It has a wingspan of more than two metres and its prey includes mammals, birds and carrion. Golden eagles usually live in the open space of mountains above the tree line but in the winter it will also forage for prey in lower regions. A pair of golden eagles has different eyries that they alternate in using for their broods. In contrast to other birds, the voice of the golden eagle is rarely heard.

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The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is recognized as a Lithuanian national bird. Lithuanians love, care and respect these birds. The White Stork is considered to be an ecological indicator. Usually storks rotate the nests on human-loaded platforms on trees, on buildings or on special poles. The storks come to Lithuania in March and fly out in September to spend winter in Africa and India. Their establishment in or near the farmstead is a sign of honor, happiness and success.

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The common linnet favours living in the bushes, hedges and trees around fields and can only be found in low-lying areas. It lives mainly on seeds of wild herbs and tree seeds. Common linnets breed twice each year. It is Bird of the year in Luxembourg.

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Malta’s two-stamp issue features, the Blue Rock Thrush locally known as ‘il-Merill’. This bird was chosen as the national bird of the Maltese Islands in 1970. It is a starling-sized bird, 21–23 cm in length with a long slim bill. The male features a striking blue colour with darker wings and tail - an appealing contrast to the less striking female with its brownish-grey colour.

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The postage stamp nr. 1123, with nominal value of 11,00 MDL represents the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia).

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In 2017, the Environment Directorate identified two peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus, born in a cliff cavity of the Rock of Monaco. The breeding of this bird in the Principality shows the good ecological conditions necessary for this protected and emblematic species.

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Depicted on the stamp, we can see a male and female specimens of the Wood grouse in their natural habitat.

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The stamp is based on a painting by the artist Viggo Ree, and shows one white-throated dipper feeding another. When downloading the free CEE-app and scanning the stamp, you can hear the song of the white-throated dipper.

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The common chaffinch is found throughout all Europe and partly in Asia and Africa. The Latin name of the bird is Fringilla coelebs, where fringilla, means a small bird or bird squealing, and coelebs, means a bachelor. The scientific name refers to the habits of birds: females fly away, and most males are left to defend territories. The chaffinch lives in all types of environments, such as forests, parks, shelters, clumps and avenues of trees, gardens.

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From the plateaus and mountains to the east of the island of São Miguel, the coastal pastures of the southern slope of the island can be seen, with hedges and meadows, where it is possible to observe the bird specie (Regulus regulus azoricus), commonly known as goldcrest, is the smallest bird in Europe, on the Azores archipelago it is a resident species.

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The Sado Estuary Natural Reserve is one of the most important wetland areas in Portugal and a vital site for many migratory and wintering species. The robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a resident nesting bird that is very common in a large part of the mainland territory. From the end of September, the resident birds are joined by migratory populations from all over Europe (including Russia), which return to their nesting grounds from February onwards.

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In the highlands of the eastern side of the interior of the island of Madeira, among deep ravines gouged in the volcanic rock and the luxuriant laurel forest, emerge diverse areas of more open landscape, which is a favoured habitat of the Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria).

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The Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), also called pajură (in English, tail), is one of the most known and widespread birds on Earth. Like other species of eagle, it belongs to the Aquila genus and the Accipitridae family. The golden eagle is a species specific to mountain areas, but it can also be found along coasts and forested areas. The length of the body is 80-93 cm and the average weight is 4,050-6,350 g., the females being bigger. The wingspan is 190-225 cm. It is a large bird of prey, with a dark brown plumage on most of the body, except for the head and neck, whose feathers are brown-goldish. The image of this bird was intertwined with the history and tradition of many peoples, and since ancient times an ensign, a flag and a symbol of empires and civilizations.

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Birds are quite popular as a subject for issues stamps of the Russian Federation. The 2019 stamp is dedicated to the Siberian crane. The Siberian crane, or the snow crane, is a species of the cranes endemic to the northern territories of Russia. It nests exclusively within Russia. The bird is critically endangered and is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation, and is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Yakut population in the wild is currently estimated at 3,000 individuals. The postage stamp features a Siberian crane.

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The stamp depicts a young peregrine falcon on a branch while waiting for its flying parent to come, with the first tower of San Marino in the background.

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Squacco heron is a small heron with a short neck, a short thick beak and a buff-brown back. It reaches a length of 44-47 cm, and its wingspan is 80-92 cm. Annually, adult individuals have long feathers on the neck. Its appearance changes during flight, when, thanks to the color of its wings, it looks like it is white. Squacco heron colors are beautiful, especially in the "wedding dress”.

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The European roller is the only representative of its species in Europe. Staying faithful to the conditions in savannah woodlands of Africa, where most of its relatives live, it prefers areas with dry and warm summers. It is typically found in areas of meadows, pastures and fields with small sparse woods, avenues of trees and small clusters of old trees. Sitting in an elevated place – a dry branch, a power line or a stack of grain, it hunts large insects and small vertebrates. It nests in the hollows of trees, buildings, the cracks in rocks, as well as burrows in the ground. It mainly spends the winter in Eastern and Southern Africa. Breeding pairs remain faithful to their nesting sites and many of them return to nest in the same hollow year after year. Since the 1950s there has been a rapid decrease recorded in the occurrence of European rollers in Europe. The last breeding pair hatched their chicks in Slovakia, near Komárno, in 2010. The causes for this decrease include persecution, a lack of food, but mainly the removal and disposal of old trees with hollows and intense large-scale agriculture.

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Post of Slovenia issued 2 stamps with the motifs: Ardea Purpurea & Panurus biarmicus representing National Birds found in Slovenia. Here you will find the stamp with Panurus buarmicus also knows as the Bearded Reedling. This small, orange-brown social bird with a very long stepped tail measures 16–17 cm from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail. It lives in thick stands of reeds, where it is most frequently observed in low flight, beating its short wings rapidly. It likes to perch in the tops of reeds, particularly in the early morning and in autumn. Its diet consists of insects and seeds. It builds a bowl-shaped nest near the ground in reeds that bend over water. It lays five to seven white spotted eggs and has two to three broods a year. Its first confirmed nesting in Slovenia was in the Ormož Lagoons Nature Reserve in 2017.
Download the free CEE App to your mobile device. Use it to scan the stamp designs to hear the songs of the birds depicted and visit Pošta Slovenije's online land of stamps.

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The bearded vulture is a bird of prey found in the Pyrennes of Aragón, Catalonya and Navarre in Spain.

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Background on mini sheet: The blackbird nestles both in the city, in the countryside and in the forest and is found throughout the country, with the exception of the mountain range. Background depicts some of the Blackbirds habitats.

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The Golden eagle is the undisputed star among the native Swiss birds. With its wingspan of over 2 metres, it mainly lives in the mountains.

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The stamps depict the goldfinch and the Bohemian waxwing: two colourful birds with a centuries-old name in Dutch history. The (watercolour) illustrations are the work of illustrator Michelle Dujardin. On the tabs on the left and right, next to the Priority logo, there is a reference to the CEE app, which can be used to listen to the distinctive birdsong.

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Found in the coniferous (pine) forests of our country, Krüper’s Nuthatch (Sitta krueperi) is a delicate Anatolian bird that weighs 13-15 grams and measure 12-13 cm in size. This bird species stands out against other birds with its black forecrown, conspicuous white supercilium and a rufous breast patch and it is endemic to Anatolia. The main diet of this bird consists of beetles, small maggots, butterflies, small seeds, worms and insects. Krüper’s Nuthatch has been classified by the World’s oldest International Protection Agency, BirdLife International in the ‘European Scale Priority Conserved Birds’ category and taken under conservation.

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The thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) is a singer of good and love, a symbol of spring and will. The name of it comes from the language of the ancient Russian word "glory" - the one who sings the song-glory to the gods. Ukrainians always honored this little bird for great singing.

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The stamp depicts the Rock dove pigeon, better known as the common pigeon, a fairly widespread species of Columbidae.

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