1997-07, Rare Birds《珍禽》

Stamp Title: Rare Birds
Scott No: 2763, 2764
Serial number: 1997-7
Values in set: 2
(2-1), Chinese Copper Pheasant, 50 fen, 40*32mm
(2-2), Common Pheasant, 540 fen, 40*32mm
Date of issue: Zeng Xiaolian;
Designers: May 9,1997
Size: 40*32mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 20
Printing process: gravure-engraving combined

The administrations of posts of the People’s Republic of China and the kingdom of Sweden have signed and agreement to jointly issue the stamps entitled “Rare birds” to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

White-bellied golden pheasant is a specialty in China. The male birds have bluish green feathers, which shine in glaringly metallic luster in the sunlight. Their heads, backs and tails are dotted with red, orange and golden spots; their bellies are white; and they have a black and white silky tails. Covered by the harmonious red, green, blue and yellow, the white-bellied golden pheasants are beautiful and elegant, especially when they walk gracefully. So they are often nicknamed “lady birds”. They inhabit the woods in the 3,000-metre-high mountain. They are timid in nature and like running. They eat grass seeds, browse, and insects. In autumn and winter, they usually move about in 20s .In late spring, the male and female birds mate, and 15 eggs are laid in each nestle. The young birds break the shell after 22 days of hatching. They mate in the next spring. Their life-span is about six to seven years. The white-bellied golden pheasants, together with red-bellied golden pheasants, are the world-famous ornamental birds and under China’s Grade II key wildlife protection.

Ring-necked pheasants (pheasants or berghaans) are spread all over the world. But China is their main native place. They are 1 meter long and weigh 1.5 kilograms. Male birds have glaringly lustrous and colourful feathers. Their necks are dark green. The pheasants in Northeast China have a clear and obvious white ring, so they are called ring-necked pheasants. Female pheasants are smaller in size and taupe gray in colour. The white-necked pheasants can live in the mountains, plains, pastures, farm villages and reed marshes. They are omnivorous. During the mating season, one male bird can mate with several female birds, which usually hatch twice a year. The pheasants reproduce fast and in large number and have strong adaptability. The meat tastes delicious. When they were introduced to the Western countries in the last century, the pheasants soon became an important resource for hunting. Rational development and utilization have brought about good economic returns.

1997年特种邮票《珍禽》
国家邮政局1997年5月9日发行《珍禽》特种邮票1套2枚。（与瑞典联合发行）
（2-1）T 白腹锦鸡 50 分 3275.7万枚
（2-2）T 环颈雉 540 分 2612.7万枚

志号名称：1997-7T
整版枚数：20 枚
全套面值：5.90元
版别：影写、雕刻
齿孔度数：12 度
邮票规格：40 × 32
设计者：英格·卡琳爱丽逊（瑞典）、曾孝濂（中国）
雕刻者：赛斯罗·斯拉尼亚（瑞典）
印制机构：北京邮票厂

锦鸡和环颈雉它们均属鸡形目雉科。雉鸡体态优美，羽色华丽而典雅，以谷类、桨果、种子和昆虫为食，善走而不能久飞。白腹锦鸡全长约1.2米，腹面白色，主要生长在我国云南、贵州、四川及西藏地区，是世界著名的珍贵观赏鸟。环颈雉(雉鸡)颈上大都有一显著白色环纹，原生活在亚洲，现已引入欧美等地，数量亦不断增加，有较高的经济价值，是瑞典人民喜爱的动物之一。

1997年5月9日，为表达中瑞两国人民之间的传统友谊，中华人民共和国邮政主管部门和瑞典王国邮政主管部门根据双方签署的协议，联合发行了《珍禽》特种邮票，全套2枚。