Spain Fauna FDC

Spain FDC
Name: Flora and Fauna
Date of Issue: 01 April 2009

The Capercaillie or Wood Grouse (Tetrao urogallus), is a bird from the family of the Tetraonidae and the order of the Galliformes. It is one the largest members of the grouse family, reaching over 1 meter in length for the males and 0.70 cm the females. Both have feathers under their beaks resembling a beard and a bright red spot of naked skin above each eye and fanned tail feathers. They breed in old coniferous forests with a rich interior structure and dense ground vegetation under a light canopy. In Spain they can be found in the Cantabria region and the Pyrenees. They are an endangered species whose courting season goes from March to mid May. During this period they gurgle and wheeze to attract the hens and begin copulation. Hens lay from five to twelve eggs in a hole on the ground providing an easy target for predators such as boars, dogs and weasels hence only a few chicks reach the adult age and thus the population decline.

Comment: I'm not good at Spanish philatelic activity. I guess it has only one city or post office that uses the special cancellation on issue day.