Noted bird artist delivers portraits for Royal Mail’s new set of stamps
ROYAL MAIL has unveiled a new set of stamps depicting migratory birds, exploring the spring and summer bird visitors to the UK.
The 10 featured birds have been illustrated for Royal Mail by Irish ornithologist Killian Mullarney, one of Europe’s bestknown bird artists, whose work has featured in the Collins Bird Guide and on stamps issued in the Republic of Ireland.
The stamps showcase the diversity of migratory birds that arrive in the UK, from seabirds that migrate along the UK’s coastline, such as the Arctic skua and Arctic tern, to the rare bird of prey, Montagu’s harrier.
Other birds on the stamps include the stone-curlew, swallow, swift, turtle dove and yellow wagtail.
David Gold, from Royal Mail, said: “The migratory journeys of the birds featured on these stamps are truly amazing. Their annual travels have fascinated and baffled naturalists for centuries.
“It is only now that we are beginning to understand what drives and maintains this amazing, high-risk-high-reward behaviour. We hope that these stamps ignite a new interest in
this remarkable phenomenon.”
The stamps will be available from today.
Mr Mullarney is an bird artist and bird tour leader. He designed a series of Irish definitive stamps for An Post illustrating Irish birds issued between 1997 and 2004.
He was born in Dublin in 1958 and educated at home for a few years by his mother, Máire Mullarney. He showed an interest in birds from an early age, including bird art, and began to make a name for himself in the late 1970s.
The migratory journeys of the birds on these stamps are truly amazing.
David Gold, from Royal Mail. The new collection of stamps is available from today.