China 1995-5 Owls - First Day Cover (FDC)

Owls

Technical details:

Scott No: 2559-62
Serial number: 1995-5
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: March 22, 1995
Designers: Ma Gang
Size: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 40
Printing process: gravure


SN: (4-1)
Title: Eagle Owl
Value: 10 fen

SN: (4-2)
Title: Long-eared Owl
Value: 20 fen

SN: (4-3)
Title: Snowy Owl
Value: 50 fen

SN: (4-4)
Title: Cross Owl
Value: 100 fen


Background info

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.