Rare Birds

Background info

The administrations of posts of the People's Republic of China and the kingdom of Sweden have signed and agreement to jointly issue the stamps entitled "Rare birds" to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

White-bellied golden pheasant is a specialty in China. The male birds have bluish green feathers, which shine in glaringly metallic luster in the sunlight. Their heads, backs and tails are dotted with red, orange and golden spots; their bellies are white; and they have a black and white silky tails. Covered by the harmonious red, green, blue and yellow, the white-bellied golden pheasants are beautiful and elegant, especially when they walk gracefully. So they are often nicknamed "lady birds". They inhabit the woods in the 3,000-metre-high mountain. They are timid in nature and like running. They eat grass seeds, browse, and insects. In autumn and winter, they usually move about in 20s .In late spring, the male and female birds mate, and 15 eggs are laid in each nestle. The young birds break the shell after 22 days of hatching. They mate in the next spring. Their life-span is about six to seven years. The white-bellied golden pheasants, together with red-bellied golden pheasants, are the world-famous ornamental birds and under China's Grade II key wildlife protection.

Ring-necked pheasants (pheasants or berghaans) are spread all over the world. But China is their main native place. They are 1 meter long and weigh 1.5 kilograms. Male birds have glaringly lustrous and colourful feathers. Their necks are dark green. The pheasants in Northeast China have a clear and obvious white ring, so they are called ring-necked pheasants. Female pheasants are smaller in size and taupe gray in colour. The white-necked pheasants can live in the mountains, plains, pastures, farm villages and reed marshes. They are omnivorous. During the mating season, one male bird can mate with several female birds, which usually hatch twice a year. The pheasants reproduce fast and in large number and have strong adaptability. The meat tastes delicious. When they were introduced to the Western countries in the last century, the pheasants soon became an important resource for hunting. Rational development and utilization have brought about good economic returns.

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