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БИОЛОГИЯ НА ПОЧТОВЫХ МАРКАХ BIOLOGY ON POSTAGE STAMPS |
Fiji (En) - Фиджи (Ru) - Fidji (Fr) - Fidschi (De) - Fiji (Sp)
2007 (Nov.3) Extinct Birds. The Barred-winged Rail (SS) - Вымершие птицы (Бл.) †
(Sc.)(Mi.)(Yv.)(SG )
$2 Nesoclopeus poecilopterus - Bar-winged Rail (Head of rail) (En) †
00372
(Sc.)(Mi.)(Yv.)(SG )
$2 Nesoclopeus poecilopterus - Bar-winged Rail (Chick) (En) †
00372
These two stamps were issued, together, in a miniature sheet
FDC:
Bar-winged Rail Nesoclopeus poecilopterus:
Since Europeans First arrived in Fiji, three species of bird has become extinct - the bar-winged rail, the wandering whistling extinct - the bar-winged rail, the wandering whistling duck Dendrocygna acuata and the eastern grass owl Tyto longimembris. Both the whistling duck and the grass owl survive eslewhere and so are only extirpated from Fiji. In contrast, the bar-winged rail is only known from Fiji and so is a species lost forever. It has only one relative in the genus Nesoclopeus and that is N. woodfordi from the Solomon Islands. Two Fijian names were recorded from this rail - sasa and saca.
The Bar-winged rail was a medium-large rail which would have stood at about 30 cm. It was a darkish rail with black and chestnut bars on its wings, a long stout beak and powerful legs. Interestingly it had a small black wing-claw. Nothing is known about habits o this rail though it is believed, on examination of its wings, to have been completely flightless and was reported to inhabit forests, gardens and swampy areas. One nest was described as being made of sedges and containing six eggs.
The rail was first collected in the 18060's and described as a new species by the German taxonomist Gustav Hartlaub in 1866. It is currently known from 12 specimens that were collected from Viti Levu and Ovalau, although it has also been tentatively identified from sub fossil bones from Lakeba. These specimens are now safely held as 'skins' in museums in Europe and Australia. The Last confirmed sighting of a live bird was on Viti Levu in 1890. A published sighting from Vunidawa in 1973 in regarded as unconfirmed.
The bar-winged rail perished as a result of the introduction of the mongoose and feral cats, although the anecdotal reports of hunting of this rail by dogs would have contributed. It is most unlikely that the bar-winged rail survives because these predators have extirpated other ground-dwelling birds on Viti Levu such as the bici - banded rail Gallirallus philippensis, the purple swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, the spotless crake Porzana tabuensis and the jungle fowl Gallus gallus. If it does survive it would most likely be on Ovalau (or Tavenui where it has been reported but never confirmed) which are without the mongoose, the most destructive of the predators.
Technical details
| Values | $2.00, $2 |
| Stamp Artist | George Bennett |
| Text | Dick Watling |
| Printer | Wyatt & Wilson Print |
| Process | Lithography |
| Stamp Size | 42.27mm x 30.23mm |
| Sheet Layout | 2 Landscape, 2 Portrait |
| Stamp Format | Landscape |
| Paper |
104 gsm
Litho Gummed Stamp Paper |
Ссылки - Links
November 3rd, 2007
http://www.stampsfiji.com/stamps/fiji_barred_winged_%20rail/index.html
Начато: 10.03.2007 Обновлено: 15.01.2009