1995-05, Owls《鸮》

Stamp Title: Owls
Scott No: 2559, 2560, 2561, 2562
Serial number: 1995-5
Values in set: 4
(4-1), Owl, 10 fen, 30*40mm
(4-2), Owl, 20 fen, 30*40mm
(4-3), Owl, 50 fen, 30*40mm
(4-4), Owl, 100 fen, 30*40mm
Date of issue: March 22, 1995
Designers: Ma Gang
Size: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 40
Printing process: gravure

Owl is the general name for 130 types of birds from three families, and most of them are nocturnal birds of prey.

When the owl flies, its wings just like that of a butterfly without any noise because the wing’s surface is similar to velvet. Owl’s feather in light and dark brown color, and the size of the female owl is larger than the male one. An owls usually builds a nest in a building, a tree hole or an abandoned nest of other birds, and some even makes its nest on the ground or in a cave. Owls mainly eat insects birds small mammals or fish and most of them live on mice. An owl has sharp ears and eyes, and its face can help reflect the sound to its ears during a travel at night so as to determine the direction of a hunting target.

China has 26 out of the world’s 132 owls. About 120 of them are typical owls with large prominent eyes and round tails as well as ear plume. Owls’ size are varied from 13 to 15 centimeters to 70 centimeters or even larger. They live across the world except the South Pole, and most of them like to live in forest areas.

The ancient China’s literary works recorded the descriptions of owls.

Owl’s folk names as “night cat” and “cat’s head eagle” derive from its habits and appearance. The Chinese government already has listed the bird as one of the wild life for the state second-class protection.

1995年特种邮票《鸮》
国家邮政局1995年3月22日发行《鸮(XIAO)》特种邮票1套4枚。
（4-1）T 鵰鸮 10 分 2787.7万枚
（4-2）T 长耳鸮 20 分 5209.7万枚
（4-3）T 雪鸮 50 分 3397.7万枚
（4-4）T 草鸮 100 分 2787.7万枚

志号名称：1995-5T
版别：影写
整版枚数：40 枚
全套面值：1.80元
邮票规格：30 × 40毫米
齿孔度数：11.5度
设计者：马刚
印制机构：北京邮票厂

鸮俗称“猫头鹰”分布很广泛，全球名大陆几乎都有。世界上现约132种鸮(inyin: XIAO)，中国有26种。他们属鸟纲中的(鸮)形目。其中除少数几种吃鱼外，大多数种类以鼠类为食，是益鸟也是人类的朋友。

我国已将各种(鸮) 全部列为 ii级国家重点保护野生动物。虽然由于它哀号般的鸣叫给人们留下不吉祥的缘由无从考证。但猫头鹰在大自然生物圈中对生态环境的不平衡作用确实是功不可没的。猫头鹰给人类带来的益处，应足以抵消人们对它的误解和曲解的矛盾心态。