New Caledonia 2006–Birdlife Stamps

New Caledonia Post issued the stamp series of birdlife consist of three stamps on year 2006. The stamp set featured Charmosyna diadema,  Aegotheles savesi, Gallirallus lafresnayanus.

Charmosyna diadema

The New Caledonian Lorikeet is 18-19 cm long (the size of a large hand), 7-8 cm of which is the slim and pointed tail.Female birds are green overall, with deep violet blue crown and dark bluish thighs, a yellowish face and underside face, and a red anal region. The tail is green above and yellowish olive below, with the four lateral feathers with red basal markings followed by a black band, tipped yellow on the underside. The beak is orange-red, the iris probably dark orange like the feet.

This bird is hard to track because it is nomadic and is relatively inconspicuous. It is listed as Critically Endangered (D1) by BirdLife International, which means that the effective population size is likely to be less than fifty individuals.

 

Aegotheles savesi

The Enigmatic Owlet-nightjar or Aegotheles savesi, also known as the New Caledonian Owlet-nightjar, is a large owlet-nightjar (a kind of bird related to swifts and goatsuckers) with vermiculated grey-brown and black plumage.

It has a long, slightly rounded tail, short, rounded wings, and long, stout legs.The description of species are 28cm long and large with  dark owlet-nightjar. Plumage rather uniformly vermiculated grey-brown and black. Structurally distinct with short rounded wings, long, slightly rounded tail and relatively long, stout legs

This bird is endemic to New Caledonia’s Melaleuca savanna and humid forests. Other members of its genus are highly territorial and nest in holes in trees. These birds also forage by sitting on a branch and attacking small animals.

Petrel birds of New Caledonia - Birdlife International 2008

On the year 2008, New Caledonia Post issued the birdlife stamp series of Petrel bird  featured Nesofregetta fuliginosa (Polynesian Storm Petrel), Pterodroma leucoptera (Gould’s Petrel) ,Pseudobulweria rostrata ( Tahiti Petrel). The issuance only consist of 3 pieces of stamps.

Nesofregatta fuliginasa, 110 F

The Polynesian Storm-petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa) is a species of seabird in the Hydrobatidae family and  placed in the monotypic genus Nesofregetta.Their specific distinctive are 25 cm in length and polymorphic with broad rounded wings, lacking obvious bends along leading and trailing edges. Most common morph has brownish-black head, nape, mantle, upperwing and tail but white rump-band and greater-covert wing-bar. Moderately forked tail. White throat, brownish chest band, rest of underparts white. Extensive white on underwing-coverts, otherwise dark underwing. Intermediate morphs show dark flecking on white underparts. Dark morph is entirely sooty-brown.

Nesofregetta fuliginosa is found in Chile, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, possibly American Samoa, possibly Fiji, and possibly Samoa.Its natural habitats are open seas, rocky shores, and sandy shores. This species has been uplisted to Endangered due to  threatened by introduced predators.Predation of eggs and small chicks by house mouse Mus musculus

Birdlife International–New Caledonia 2007

On year 2007, New Caledonia Post has issued the birdlife stamp series featured the species of threatened birds in their country  Gymnomyza aubryana (Meliphage toulou), Coracina analis (Echenilleur de montagne), and Cagou (Rynochetos jubatus).

Meliphage toulou or Gymnomyza aubryana, 35F,

Gymnomyza aubryana or Meliphage toulou, also known as The Crow Honeyeater  is a very large honeyeater with orange facial wattles. The Crow Honeyeaters have long rounded wings and a long tail and neck. Their bill is long and bicolored- yellow below, black above. It has a loud, ringing sound.

This bird is endemic to New Caledonia and lives in humid forests on hills. It is relatively inconspicuous, and lives either in pairs or alone. It is estimated that there are between 50 and 250 birds left. It forages for invertebrates and nectar in the canopy and midstorey.This bird is critically endangered due to introduced rats.

Birdlife of New Caledonia 2009- Threatened Stern Birds

New Caledonia Post has issued the birdlife stamp series 2009 which depicted the Threatened   Stern birds i.e: Sterna nereis, Sterna diamant, Sterna dougalli of their country.

Sterna nereis (75F),

Sterna nereis or The Fairy Tern  is a small tern which occurs in the south-western Pacific.There are three subspecies, one of them is New Caledonian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis exsul - breeds in New Caledonia.The Fairy Tern is recently uplisted to Vulnerable status in 2008

 Sterna diamant or Sterna sumatrana (75F),
Sterna sumatrana  or The Black-naped Tern is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland.
Sterna sumatrana sized is about 30 cm long with a wing length of 21–23 cm. Their charaterized are black colour on the beaks and legs , but yellow colour on the tips of their bills . They have long forked tails.The Black-naped tern has a white face and breast with a grayish-white back and wings.

Sterna dougallii  (75F),
Sterna dougallii or The Roseate Tern is a small-medium tern, 33–36 cm long with a 67–76 cm wingspan which breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America, and winters south to the Caribbean and west Africa.This species breeds in colonies on coasts and islands. It nests in a ground scrape, often in a hollow or under dense vegetation, and lays one or two (rarely three) eggs.Sterna dougallii feeds by plunge-diving for fish, almost invariably from the sea. The distinctive behaviour of the Roseate Tern shows some kleptoparasitic behaviour, stealing fish from other seabirds. In the late 19th century, these birds were hunted for their plumes which were used to decorate hats. More recently, their numbers have decreased in some regions due to increased competition and predation by large gulls, whose numbers have increased in recent times.

BuzzNet Tags: New Caledonia,Stern nereis,Stern sumatrana,Stern dougallii,Roseate Tern,Black-naped Tern,Fairy Tern

Parrot birds of New Caledonia 2005

New Caledonia Post collaborated with Birdlife International Organization to issue stamps features the protected Parrot bird of their country on year 2005.The stamps comprised of 3 pieces stamps that depicted Uvea Parakeet, New Caledonian Parakeet, and Horned Parakeet.

Uvea Parakeet or Eunymphicus uvaeensis is a medium sized parakeet that endemic to the island of Uvea in the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. The Uvea parakeet is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family.  The Uvea Parakeet have specific characteristic with mostly green plumage and a prominent green crest. The crest is composed of six backward feathers that curl forwards. The underside of the bird tends to be yellower and there is bright blue on the wings and tail. The face is dark and the beak is black.The Uvea parakeet is threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.

The New Caledonian Parakeet (Cyanoramphus saisseti) or New Caledonian Red-crowned Parakeet, is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family that endemic to New Caledonia. The species  is now considered a species   in the genus Cyanoramphus, which had its origins in New Caledonia.Their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist mountain forests, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

The Horned Parakeet (Eunymphicus cornutus) is a largely green parakeet endemic to New Caledonia. It is called Horned because it has two black feathers that protrude from the head and have red tips. This parakeet has a yellowish nape with a black and red face and bluish wings and tail.

The Horned Parakeet lives humid pine forests on New Caledonia, especially when Agathis and Araucaria pines are present. They live in pairs or small flocks and forage for seeds and nuts in the canopy. It nests both on the ground and in trees.This bird has declined since the 1880s, but it is still found in a wide range on New Caledonia and recent population estimates believe that there are over 2500 birds left.