Woodpeckers or the “doctors of the forest” are among the first wild birds to take contact in childhood, amusing us with their living habits which bring activity and a touch of joy in the forest even in the cold winter days. These interesting and popular birds are the topic of the latest project of Romfilatelia, suggestively entitled Woodpeckers, which will be available for purchase starting from Tuesday, February 9th, 2016, in Romfilatelia’s shops in Bucharest, Bacau, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Timisoara.
The woodpeckers’ family is ancient and spread to almost the entire planet, excepting Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and Antarctica. Their appearance and usual pecking, which is so characteristic to them, delight us every time and the curiosity surrounding them does not cease to amaze us, for, as their name suggests, woodpeckers get their food by pecking, chiseling and hollowing tree trunks. They are capable of hitting the trees with a velocity of 6-7 m/s, which is about 20 km/h or hitting the tree 20 times per second. It is also very interesting that stopping is done virtually instantaneously, in a millisecond, the deceleration (slowing) of the impact being 1000 times stronger than the force of gravity.
With such fascinating features, woodpeckers remain birds which intrigue both children and adults, drawing attention to them and their way of living. Therefore, the postage stamp issue Woodpeckers is dedicated to these birds and present, on its 4 stamps, species of woodpeckers found in Romania’s avifauna: Picoides tridactylus, Dryocopus martius, Picus viridis and Jynx torquilla.
On the stamp with the face value of lei 2.00 is illustrated Picoides tridactylus (Eurasian three-toed woodpecker), a species characteristic of old coniferous forests, its presence and abundance depending on the amount of rotten wood. It eats mostly insects, and in winter, it can often be seen feeding on tree sap.
Picus viridis (the European green woodpecker) is reproduced on the stamp with the face value of
lei 4.50. The species prefers more open forest areas, orchards, forest skirts, wooded meadows, feeding exclusively on ants and their larvae, which are typically procured by destroying their anthills.
Dryocopus martius (the black woodpecker) is found on the stamp with the face value of lei 5.00, being spread on deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests. It is a sedentary species and prefers the tall trunks of old forests. It feeds on insects and their larvae from under the bark of trees.
Jynx torquilla, also known as the Eurasian wryneck, is illustrated on the stamp with the face value of lei 14.50. It can be found in all deciduous woodlands with old trees and during migration it can be seen in parks and gardens. Appearance and mottled gray-brown colour make this bird resemble and even be confused with thrushes, its plumage colour providing it with a very good camouflage, thus being nearly impossible to see it when sitting on branches or tree bark.
The four stamps of the issue Woodpeckers are completed by a set of four maxicards and a first day cover, and as page composition were used the sheet of 32 stamps, the minisheet of 5 stamps +
1 label and the block of 4 stamps (in philatelic album).
The special product of the issue is the philatelic album, created into a limited edition of 245 pcs. and equipped with the block of 4 postage stamps of the issue and the first day cover having the “first day” postmark clearly imprinted in foiling. Both products are numbered from 001 to 245.
Romfilatelia thanks the Romanian Academy Institute of Biology, the National Park Calimani and photographers Daniel Petrescu, Cristian Mihai, Silviu Matei and Dan Grigoroaea for the documentary support offered in the creation of this postage stamp issue.
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The story of the stamps issued by Romfilatelia starting with 2004 is a wonderful journey through the beauty and richness of Romania, illustrating scenic landscapes, renowned institutions, outstanding personalities of the Romanian people, traditions passed on from generation to generation, national values and symbols which carry the name of Romania across its borders. Romfilatelia and the national postage stamp remain your one way ticket to education, culture and knowledge.
For further information, please contact the Public Relation Office:
Tel: 021 / 337 24 42