Taiwan Pheasant FDC

Taiwan FDC
Name: Taiwan Bird – Pheasant (Continued)
Date of Issue: 07 March 2008
Number: Sp.516

Syrmaticus mikado, commonly known as the Mikado Pheasant, is a species endemic to Taiwan. This uncommon resident is classified as a member of the order Galliformes and is a member of the Phasianidae family. Mikado Pheasants inhabit coniferous and mixed-coniferous-broadleaf forests in middle and high elevations. They live amid dense shrubs and bamboo thickets in the forest understory. Their diet consists of tender plant shoots, bulbs, berries, and insects.

The males are gorgeous in appearance. Their entire bodies are covered with black feathers with a royal-blue metallic shimmer; their tail feathers are marked with obvious white horizontal stripes; their scapular, breast and rump feathers possess a lustrous royal blue shimmer; their wings are black with obvious white stripes. The females are smaller in size. They are olive brown in color, with black horizontal stripes on their tail feathers. In both males and the females, the skin around the eyes is red.

The Mikado Pheasant is a shy, secretive, territorial and solitary bird. One exception is during the breeding season, when two or more of them can be seen together. A rare and endemic species of Taiwan, the Mikado Pheasant is classified as an endangered species. To urge our citizens to pay more attention to wildlife conservation, and in coordination with the theme ("the beauty of Taiwan ecology") of the TAIPEI 2008-21st Asian International Stamp Exhibition, this Post is issuing a stamp featuring a Mikado Pheasant and a "Taiwan Bird – Pheasant (Continued)" following with the issue of "Taiwan Bird – Pheasant" released in November 1993. To add to collecting interest, in addition to enlarge stamp size, for the first time ever this Post uses 3-color intaglio combined with 6-color deep-etch offset (including 2 special colors) printing process for the stamp. It is worth expecting and collecting.

Comment: To commemorate the TAIPEI 2008 - 21st Asian International Stamp Exhibition, Taiwan Post issued 3 sets on 7th March. This is the 2nd one.