Monday, September 24, 2012

FDC of the day - Belize: Birds


Some of the most beautiful, most colorful birds in all Central America - indeed, all the world - live in the tropical forests of Belize.  Among these are the Blue Crowned Motmot, as shown on the 25c issue, and the Ocellated Turkey, on the 45c issue.  The Motmot nests in the ground rather than in trees.  It digs its nesting holes between August and October, the rainy months while the ground is soft; and then returns in March or April, the breeding season, to inhabit the nest.  Another forest dweller is the magnificently colored Ocellated Turkey.  It boasts a rainbow like plumage of green, blue, gold and copper-bronze, and nothing is quite so grand as this bird in its proud posture of courtship, with its feathers outstretched.  Like the Motmot, the turkey builds its nest in well hidden places in the ground.  Both of these birds are considered among the most attractive birds in the New World.



 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi Y. Wu,
My favorite stamps to collect are animal-themed stamps, but I like almost any kind of stamp. What I know about Belize is that it is the only country in Central America in which its official language is English. I checked out Belize in wiki, and what d’ya know, it’s the birthplace of punta music and chewing gum! Belize has very low human population and is home to over 5,000 species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. Jaguars and scarlet macaws are common in Belize.
I looked into an online stamp catalogue I usually visit and found the same stamps issued on 1977, September 3. It is entitled Birds of Belize. It is actually a 6-stamp set of birds.