04 June 2018
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Finches of Australia II
Three of Australia's nineteen finch species are featured on the second of Australia Post's Finches of Australia series.
Three of Australia's nineteen finch species are featured on the second of Australia Post's Finches of Australia series.
The Gouldian Finch, Black-throated Finch and Beautiful Firetail are the latest birds to be featured from the Finch population of Australia. These grass-seed-eating birds are found across Australia, where they live in sociable groups, particularly in the north and east.
The stamps are illustrated by Adelaide-based wildlife artist Kevin Stead who has chosen to focus closely on the birds, presenting them on a largely white background to 'highlight their distinctiveness and beauty'. The habitat of each species is indicated through a suggestion of their preferred vegetation, shown in the background.
The stamps
$1 Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)
The Gouldian Finch is often regarded the most beautiful of Australia’s finches. Ornithologist and publisher John Gould named it in memory of his wife, Elizabeth, a natural-history artist who contributed greatly to Gould’s multi-volume publication on Australian birds.
$1 Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)
The Beautiful Firetail is just that, with its stunning finely-barred plumage offset by a bright scarlet tail and scarlet beak. This species is restricted to the southern-most coastal areas of Australia, occurring through southern New South Wales and Victoria into south-east South Australia and throughout Tasmania; it is the only grass-finch to occur in the island state.
$2 Black-throated Finch (Poephila cincta)
First described by John Gould in 1837, the expressive Black-throated Finch commonly occurs in flocks of up to around 30 birds. Its two subspecies (cincta and atropygialis) occur down Australia’s eastern seaboard, from the tip of Cape York to south of the Atherton Tablelands.
Issue details
Issue date: 5 June 2018
Printer: RA Printing
Perforations: 13.86 x 14.6
Stamp size: 37.5mm x 26mm
Design: Kevin Stead
To order the stamps, visit the Australia Post website.
(images copyright Australia Post)
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