Product Description
Birds of Prey: 4 April 2019
Royal Mail issued a set of 10 stamps depicting birds of prey, five head close-ups and five in flight.Stamp: 1st Class: Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus
Card: J Arthur Dixon Collectacard PBP 29311
Postmark: Birds of Prey, Barnsley
Once the UK’s most common raptor, observed hovering by roads and motorways, this falcon has seen a decrease of 40 per cent over the past two decades. A key reason for the decline is the lack of sufficient nest sites and suitable grasslands for hunting. Kestrels are characterised by a beautiful chestnut-red colour over their bodies. The female has a red tail with bars, while the adult male has a grey head and grey tail with a black band at its tip. These birds are best known for hunting mice and voles by hovering, often descending in stages to drop on their prey.
