Whale-headed Stork

Whale-headed Stork (鯨頭鸛)
Central African Republic (1999)
6th July, 2009. Bangui (Philatelic Bureau)

Whale-headed Stork is one large species in Balaenicipitidae (鸛形目) family, it only lives in tropical rain forest and wetland. Its bill looks similar with whale but it coloured in pink. From eastern African countries like Sudan, Chad, Uganda, Central Africa to southern countries like Rwanda and Zambia can find its image, it also appears in West Africa but rarely can see them. The bird now listed as endangered species due to the population decreasing, it caused by illegal hunting, the change of resident area and there damaged by human. Only 5000 to 8000 birds mostly can be found in Sudan.

Aquatic wildlife

FrontFrom left to right :
100 F : African Elephantnose (箭形長頜魚)
160 F : White-faced Whistling Duck (白臉樹鴨)
70 F : Collared Kingfisher (白領翡翠) ; 120 F : Ornate Horned Frog (鍾角蛙)
Burkina Faso (1988)

BackRed-fronted Gazelle (紅額瞪羚)
Burkina Faso (1993)
29th July, 2009. Ouagadougou
via France

Here is another mail from newest African series, Burkina Faso is located in West Africa and southern of Sahara. As Volta River flows through its country, Burkina Faso was named Upper Volta but it renamed on 1984. Same as other African countries, Burkina Faso also can find many species inside its national parks and reserve areas.

Above cover franked a set of aquatic wildlife stamps and a set of Red-fronted Gazelle WWF stamps on both sides, unfortunately only White-faced Whistling Duck and Red-fronted Gazelle can be found in West Africa, White-faced Whistling Duck is a resident bird mainly lives in south of Sahara and South America, it normally appears waterfront of ponds and lakes, mostly eats seeds and plants. Red-fronted Gazelle also widely lives in south of Sahara, from Senegal to Ethiopia, it now facing decreasing of population.

The mail sent by philatelic bureau of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso via France to Hongkong. The post office of France affixed one more registered label on the mail to record the status, however it overlapped the stamps at front side and I moved to back side when the mail arrived.

Red Kite in southern Europe

Red Kite (紅鳶)
Gibraltar (1996)
25th June, 2009. Gibraltar
15th July, 2009. Hongkong

It is the third time to show Red Kite stamp in here, last two are Great Britain and Switzerland separately. In last post says that Red Kite is very common in continent of Europe, however in western and southern of Europe, especially along the seashore of the Mediterranean, it is rarely to find its appearance. In winter, there are small number of Red Kites fly over Gibraltar when they migrating from northern Europe to North Africa, this WWF issue illustrated the birds bleed and live around the fort at the top of Rock of Gibraltar.

On the back of this cover franked with one extra stamp Honey Buzzard (鳳頭蜂鷹), it is one of newest Gibraltar definitive stamps but will not show in here.