AITUTAKI COOK ISLANDS 1981
PRELIMINARY ARTWORK BIRDS 10c LONCHURA CASTANEOTHORAX Sc #228 FAUNA
Original preliminary artwork essay for LONCHURA CASTANEOTHORAX design, for
the 1981 Definitive Stamp Issue, mounted on 125 mm x 170 mm.
THE STAMP
IS INCLUDED
NOTE:
the design was adopted
SUPERB AND UNIQUE
(THEMATIC - FAUNA, BIRDS, NATURE)
CHESTNUT-BREASTED
MANNIKIN
The chestnut-breasted
mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax) also known as the chestnut-breasted munia or
bully bird (in Australia), is a small brown-backed munia with a black face and
greyish crown and nape. It has a broad ferruginous breast bar above a white
belly. The species is found in Australia, New Caledonia, Indonesia, and Papua
New Guinea. This species is also introduced to French Polynesia and France.
In Australia, the
chestnut-breasted mannikin is known as a bird of reed beds and rank grasses
bordering rivers, in swamp, in grassy country, and mangroves. It is commonly
found in cane fields and cereal crops. In dry seasons, it is seen in arid
country but always near water. It is also found in grassy woodland.
In New Guinea, the
chestnut-breasted mannikin is a bird of drier areas and does not usually seen in
jungle roads and clearings where other munias such as grey-headed mannikin are
found.
In French Polynesia,
it is well established as an introduced species, and its habits have developed
somewhat differently, indicating the adaptability of the species. It is
widespread on the bracken-covered hill slopes, in pastures and gardens (it is
not a garden bird in Australia), on cultivated land and wasteland, in forest
ecotones and coconut plantations (Lever 1989).
In Australia, during
the breeding season chestnut-breasted mannikins are mostly seen in pairs, but
in late autumn and winter months it congregates in large flocks, at times
eating seeds of cereal crops.
Chestnut-breasted
mannikin is a highly sociable species, flocking in large number outside the
breeding season. Breeding birds will join groups or flocks when foraging.
It has a distinct
liking for barley seed and thus the local people give it a name "barley
bird". The species is also fond of paspalum grass Paspalum longifolium, bullrush millet Pennisetum typhoides and Sorghum
species. It is also been recorded that it feeds on feral millet Pannicum maximum and wild sugar cane Saccharum robustum in Papua New Guinea
(Bapista 1990).
Unique and truly spectacular showpiece!!!
EXCEPTIONAL APPEARANCE
Please review scan
for condition as it will be considered part of description
ELUSIVE ITEM FOR THE SPECIALIST
Very-Fine
Condition.
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