Belted Kingfisher

Four of the many wildlife species that migrate between Canada and Mexico are featured on a se-tenant block of commemorative stamps to be issued August 15, 1995. The wildlife depicted include an insect (the monarch butterfly), a mammal (the hoary bat) and two birds (the northern pintail and the belted kingfisher). The migration habits of each are unique, but all travel for the same reason: to ensure their survival by finding distinct habitats in each country. The kingfisher has over 100 species worldwide, but only the belted kingfisher is found in Canada, where it breeds across the country. The belted kingfisher is an expert fisherman, capturing it's prey by diving directly into the water from a preferred perch location. Beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and frogs are also consumed. Fall migration begins around mid-September, usually on an individual basis. Moving along the shores of lakes and rivers, it migrates only during the day. The kingfisher is found throughout Mexico in winter, but in early April it returns to Canada. On August 15, 1995, Canada Post Corporation issued se tenant commemorative stamps featuring four of the many wildlife species which migrate between Canada and Mexico. The wildlife illustrated included an insect (the monarch butterfly), a mammal (the hoary bat) and two birds (the northern pintail and the belted kingfisher). This time, however, it is not the wildlife but the stamps that have returned. One of the four Migratory Wildlife stamps contains a typographical error - the letter "F" is missing from the word "Faune" on the Kingfisher design. As a result, on September 26, 1995, Canada Post Corporation (CPC) is releasing a limited quantity (3.2 million stamps) of the issue, with corrected text. Typographical errors of this type are not a common occurrence. Canada Post Corporation investigated the problem and determined that while there was a number of circumstances that led to the mishap, in final analysis it was found to be the result of simple human error. (Stamps collectors are perhaps the ones to understand how this could happen, as they are well aware of the long and detailed processes involved with the creation of each new postage stamp.) Canada Post Corporation has apologized for the mistake, and knowing that philatelic customers have come to expect a flawless product, CPC worked to meet those needs by printing an additional quantity (not a reprint) of the Migratory Wildlife stamps with the correct spelling. The corrected version is the one that will appear in Canada 95, the new Collection of the Postage Stamps of Canada. Canada Post Corporation also stressed that the mistake does not raise the value of the stamp in any way; all stamps featuring the Kingfisher are worth 45¢ each. The corrected stamps will be offered at participating postal outlets across Canada or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. Symbolic migration routes and maps - indicating habitat range in Canada and Mexico- appear in the background of each stamp. The principal design elements are full-colour images, giving an impression of the wildlife in motion, and silhouettes show different profiles in flight.