Mountain Bluebird

Bird watching and stamp collecting are refined passions which, when practiced with patience and perseverance, give endless pleasure. These two great pastimes come together now in the latest edition of the series Birds of Canada. In 1996 the series began featuring images of Canadian birds with an issue of four domestic stamps (the pileated woodpecker, Atlantic puffin, ruby-throated hummingbird, and the American kestrel) and three types of postal stationery. The graceful and realistic renditions by artist Pierre Leduc were overwhelmingly popular with collectors around the world. Canada Post, therefore, takes great pleasure in announcing the 1997 issue of its Birds of Canada series. On the issue day of January 10th, stamp collectors and bird watchers will be thrilled by Pierre Leduc's newest artwork. The western grebe, mountain bluebird, northern gannet, and the scarlet tanager will be making their appearance on 45¢ stamps, and two pre-stamped envelopes will feature the western grebe and mountain bluebird. These birds have been selected with the advice of ornithologist Dr. Henri Ouellet to represent the various regions of Canada and a broad range of natural classifications. The mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a member of thrush family. Its lovely cerulean blue paints the mountains and fields of central and western Canada in spring and summer. During the colder months they are commonly found in Mexico and southern Texas. They are distinguished from the eastern and western bluebirds by a paler colour and by the lack of any reddish brown on the breast of the male. Males are slightly larger than a house sparrow and are predominantly blue, while the smaller females are smoky gray with the occasional blue tinge. Their song is a low and pleasant warble. The mountain bluebirds prefer open country and the edge of woodlands. They eat insects and small fruits, and nest in natural cavities in trees, abandoned woodpecker holes, rock crevices and on rural buildings.