Lithuania WWF FDCs

Lithuania FDCs
Name: European Roller - WWF
Date of Issue: 06 September 2008

Denomination:
1,35 Lt: European Roller perching on the branch
1,35 Lt: Flying European Roller
1,35 Lt: Twittering European Roller
1,35 Lt: European Roller with worm

European roller (Coracias garrulus) is a member of the roller family, one of the most beautiful Lithuanian birds, included into Lithuanian Red Book since 1989. Rollers are easily recognizable by their bright colours: body is teal blue, back and wings' feathers are brown and the rostrum is black. They come to Lithuania in the beginning of May and stay here till the end of August when the autumn migration of birds starts.

European rollers prefer lowland open countryside with mature pine woodland which have heathery clearings, outer woods, also homesteads with old tree groups, parks, sometimes forests of suburban areas, even alleys of the roadsides. They love sitting on dry branches. Rollers lay 3–4 eggs in the hollows made by woodpeckers, even in the nesting-boxes. The hatching lasts 18-19 days. Juveniles leave the nest after 4 weeks. Rollers feed on insects, grasshoppers, flies, and moths.

In Lithuania European rollers are rapidly becoming extinct. If this process continues as intensively as it was by now, these birds will become extinct in our country in the upcoming years.

Comment: I don't know whether the official FDC is a pre-cancelled FDC, do you find out? 2 upper stamps were not cancelled by special cancellation.

Latvia Bat WWF FDCs

Latvia FDCs
Name: Bats – WWF
Date of Issue: 12 April 2008

Designs:
22 & 45: The Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus)
The Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus), also known as the Western Barbastelle, is a European bat. It has a short nose, small eyes and wide ears.

It is rare throughout its range.

31 & 55: The Pond Bat (Myotis dasycneme)
The Pond Bat (Myotis dasycneme) is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family. It is found in Belarus, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Sweden, and Ukraine. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Comment: Amazing!! There are 3 registered labels on every Latvian FDC; Latvian registered label, Finnish registered label and Chinese registered label.

Russia Fauna WWF M/S FDC

Russia Minisheet FDC
Name: Fauna - WWF
Issue date: 2007 October 1st

More Detail of This Set..

Russia Fauna WWF FDC

Russia FDC
Name: Fauna - WWF
Issue date: 2007 October 1st

Design:
5.00: Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana)
The Oriental Stork, Ciconia boyciana is a large, white bird with black wing feathers. It is closely related and resembles the European White Stork, of which it was formerly often treated as a subspecies. It is larger than the White Stork, at 1.29 m (4.2 ft) long, a weight of 4.4 kg (9.6 lbs) and a wingspan of 2.22 m (7.3 ft). Unlike its more widespread cousin, the Oriental Stork has red skin around its eye, with a whitish iris and black bill. Both sexes are similar. The female is slightly smaller than male. The young are white with orange bills.

At one time, the Oriental Stork could be found in Japan, China, Korea and Russia. It is now extinct in Japan and South Korea. However, in May 2007 a hatchling was reported in Japan for the first time in 40 years in the wild. It was offspring of two storks who were bred in captivity. After breeding, the storks migrate to eastern China in September and return in March. More...

6.00: Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)
The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia, sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. The taxonomic position of this species has been subject to change. In the past, many taxonomists included the Snow Leopard in the genus Panthera, with several of the other largest felids, but later it was placed in its own genus, Uncia. However, most recent molecular studies place the species firmly within the genus Panthera, although the exact position remains unclear. Along with the Clouded Leopard, it represents an intermediate between so-called big cats and smaller species, as it cannot roar, despite possessing a cartilaginous hyoid apparatus which is thought essential in allowing the big cats to roar.

Well known for its beautiful fur, the Snow Leopard has a soft grey coat with ringed spots and rosettes of black on brown. The fur turns white in the winter. Its tail is heavy with fur and the bottom of its paws are covered with fur for protection against snow and cold. The life span of a Snow Leopard is normally 15-18 years, but in captivity they can live up to 20 years. More...

7.00: Wisent (Bison bonasus)
The Wisent or European Bison (Bison bonasus) (IPA: [ˈviːzənt]) is a bison species and the heaviest land animal in Europe. A typical wisent is about 2.9 m (9.5 ft) long and 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.5 ft) tall, and weighs 300–920 kg (660–2000 lb). It is typically smaller than the related American bison (B. bison), and has shorter hair on the neck, head, and forequarters, but longer tail and horns. Wisents are forest-dwelling. They have few predators with only scattered reports from the 1800s of wolf and bear predation (besides humans). Wisents were first scientifically described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Some later descriptions treat the wisent as conspecific with the American bison. It is not to be confused with the aurochs.

The species is now endangered. In the past they were commonly killed to produce hides and drinking horns, especially during the Middle Ages. More...

Ukraine WWF Bird FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Great White Pelican - WWF
Issue date: 2007 September 20th

The White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or Great White Pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and in Africa in swamps and shallow lakes. The tree nest is a crude heap of vegetation.

This is a large pelican, at a mass of 10 kg (22 lbs), 160 cm (63 in) long and with a 280 cm (110 inch) wingspan. It differs from the Dalmatian Pelican, the only larger species of pelican, by its pure white, rather than greyish-white, plumage, a bare pink facial patch around the eye and pinkish legs. Immature birds are grey and have dark flight feathers.

More than 50% of White Pelicans breed in the Danube Delta. This pelican migrates short distances, wintering in northeast Africa. In flight, it is an elegant soaring bird, with the head held close to and aligned with the body by a downward bend in the neck.

Pelicans catch fish in their huge bill pouches, most, like this species, while swimming at the surface.

Like the Dalmatian Pelican, this species has declined greatly through habitat loss and persecution.

The White Pelican is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.