BAHAMAS STAMPS & ABACO BIRDS: ‘IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF PHILATELY’ 

The Bahamas produces frequent issues of wildlife stamps. Mostly birds, but also reef fish and sea creatures, animals, butterflies and flowers. I am gradually collecting an album of Bahamas wildlife stamps on a PHILATELY page. I’ve been having a look at a 16-bird issue from 1991 which reflects the wide diversity of species extremely well. Here is the set, with comparative photos of each bird. All but one were taken on Abaco, the rare Burrowing Owl being the exception. All the other 15 birds may be found on Abaco as permanent residents, either easily or with a bit of a look and some luck. I personally have not seen the Clapper Rail (though I saw a SORA) or the rarer Key West Quail-Dove.

                       

 

                       

                      

                      

                     

                     

                    

                    

                 

                   

                   

                 

                 

                 

                

                  

 The bird list and image credits

 Green Heron                     Butorides virescens               Nina Henry

Turkey Vulture                   Cathartes aura                     Keith Salvesen / RH (Delphi)

Western Osprey                Pandion haliaetus                 Keith Salvesen / RH (Marls)

Clapper Rail                      Rallus longirostris                 Erik Gauger

Royal Tern                         Thalasseus maximus            Keith Salvesen / RH (Marls)

Key West Quail-Dove      Geotrygon chrysia                 Becky Marvil

Smooth-billed Ani            Crotophaga ani                      Bruce Hallett

Burrowing Owl                  Athene cunicularia              Keith Salvesen / RH (UK)

Hairy Woodpecker             Picoides villosus                   Tony Hepburn

Mangrove Cuckoo             Coccyzus minor                     Tony Hepburn

*Bahama Mockingbird     Mimus gundlachii              Keith Salvesen / RH (National Park)

Red-winged Blackbird      Agelaius phoeniceus       Keith Salvesen / RH (Backcountry Abaco)

Thick-billed Vireo              Vireo crassirostris               Susan Daughtrey

*Bahama Yellowthroat       Geothlypis rostrata            Tom Sheley

Western Spindalis              Spindalis zena                       Janene Roessler

Greater Antillean Bullfinch  Loxigilla violacea            Bruce Hallett

* Endemic species for Bahamas

STAMPS            http://freestampcatalogue.com            Tony Bray