White-tailed eagle - provincial bird of Åland

A white-tailed eagle in flight on its broad wings is a mighty sight that you can experience on this year’s Åland Europa stamp on the theme national birds. The date of issue is 9 May.

WITH A WINGSPAN OF up to 2.5 meters, the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is an impressively large bird of prey.

An adult white-tailed eagle has midbrown body plumage with the head a buffy hue and a white tail. The bird often builds its nest in tall old pines and, using the nest for many years, it can attain an enormous size, weighing up to almost a ton.

Both adults take part in incubation of the 2-3 eggs laid in early April. The pair also cares jointly for the nestlings that are fully-fledged after 70-77 days. Favoured food is fish, but also waterfowl and small mammals will be devoured.

BREEDING IN ALL PARTS of Åland, the densest population of whitetailed eagles is found in Föglö. As an endangered species in Åland, neither the eagles nor their habitats may be harmed or infringed upon without special permission of the provincial government. The whitetailed eagle was close to extinction in the 1970s due to environmental toxins but, today, the population has recovered well in Åland, conservation officer Hanna Kondelin informs. The latest stocktake in 2018 found 123 eyries and 95 fledglings. The fact that 5 white-tailed eagles with avian flu were spotted in 2017 should not influence the general population in the province, Hanna expects. A few lead poisoned birds are found every year but, in general, the whitetailed eagle is a fine symbol of successful nature conservation.

ARTIST Lars Sjööblom has made the design. You may recognize his style from the 2018 Nordic stamp featuring Atlantic salmon. The design is based on a photo by Anders Blomdahl.

EUROPA – NATIONAL BIRDS

DATE OF ISSUE: 9 May 2019 ARTIST: Lars Sjööblom EDITION: 100 000

DENOMINATION: Lokalpost ()1.40) PRICE FDC: )2.20

STAMP SIZE: 40 x 26 mm

SHEET SIZE: 2 x 16 stamps PAPER: 110 g/m² PERFORATION: 13 per 2 cm PRINTING METHOD: 5-colour offset

PRINTING HOUSE: Cartor Security Printing

Mariehamn

9.5.2019

FÖRSTA DAGEN Mariehamn

9.5.2019 The illustration adorning the first day cover is based on a photo of a white-tailed eagle nestling shot by Åke Englund. The first day cancel uncovers the eagle’s strong talon, whereas the special cancellation depicts a feather. The maximum card shows a style study of a white-tailed eagle.

FÖRSTA DAGEN

MARIEHAMN • 9.5 .2019 NATIONALFÅGLAR