Algerie Cover

Algeria Cover (Pigeons) - Registered Post
Post Marke ; 16.02.2008 Setif
Registered Number ; RR 562905098 DZ

Arrival Post Marke ;
27.02.2008 Posta İşleme / Bursa
28.02.2008 Heykel / Bursa

25.01.2005 Pigeons
Wood Pigeon (Columba Palumbus)
Face Value ; 10,00
Size ; 35 x 25

The Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is a member of the family Columbidae, doves and pigeons.In the colder northern and eastern parts of its European and western Asiatic range the Wood Pigeon is a migrant, but in southern and western Europe it is a well distributed and often abundant resident.The three Western European Columba pigeons, Wood Pigeon, Stock Pigeon, and Rock Pigeon, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characteristics; the Wood Pigeon may be identified at once by its larger size at 38–43 cm, and the white on its neck and wing. It is otherwise a basically grey bird, with a pinkish breast.Juvenile birds do not have the white patches on either side of the neck. When they are about 6 months old (about 3 months out of the nest) they gain a small white patch on both sides of the neck, which gradually enlarge until they are fully formed when the bird is about 6–8 months old (approx. ages only). Juvenile birds also have a greyer beak and an overall lighter grey appearance than adult birds.It breeds in trees in woods, parks and gardens, laying two white eggs in a simple stick nest which hatch after 17 to 19 days. Wood pigeons seem to have a preference for trees near roadways and rivers. The nests are vulnerable to attack, particularly by crows, the more so early in the year when the leaf cover is not fully formed. The young usually fly at 33 to 34 days; however if the nest is disturbed some young may be able to survive having left the nest as early as 20 days from hatching.Its flight is quick, performed by regular beats, with an occasional sharp flick of the wings, characteristic of pigeons in general. It takes off with a loud clattering. It perches well, and in its nuptial display walks along a horizontal branch with swelled neck, lowered wings, and fanned tail. During the display flight the bird climbs, the wings are smartly cracked like a whiplash, and the bird glides down on stiff wings. The noise in climbing flight is caused by the whipcracks on the downstroke rather than the wings striking together.The Wood Pigeon is gregarious, often forming very large flocks outside the breeding season. Most of its food is vegetable, taken from open fields or gardens and lawns; young shoots and seedlings are favoured, and it will take grain.The call is a characteristic cooing (coo-coo-coo-cu-cu). This species can be an agricultural pest, and it is often shot, being a legal quarry species in most European countries. It is wary in rural areas, but often quite tame where it is not persecuted.

25.01.2005 Pigeons
Rock Pigeon (Columba Livia)
Face Value ; 15,00
Size ; 35 x 25

The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), or Rock Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The domestic pigeon is of this species, and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to the feral pigeon.Rock Pigeons are pale grey with two black bars on each wing. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.Habitats include various open and semi-open environments, including agricultural and urban areas. Cliffs and rock ledges are used for roosting and breeding in the wild. Originally found in Europe, North Africa and western Asia, the Rock Pigeon has been introduced to cities around the world. The species is abundant, with an estimated population of 17 to 28 million birds in Europe.The Rock Pigeon was first described by Gmelin in 1789. The genus name is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek kolumbos/κόλυμβος “a diver”, from κολυμβάω (kolumbao), 'to dive, plunge headlong, swim'.Aristophanes (Birds, 304) and others use the word kolumbis/κολυμβίς 'diver', for the name of the bird, because of its swimming motion in the air. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin livor 'a bluish colour'.Its closest relative in the Columba genus is the Hill Pigeon, followed by the other rock pigeons, the Snow, Speckled and White-collared Pigeons.The species is also known as the Rock Dove or Blue Rock Dove, the former being official name used by the British Ornithologists' Union and the American Ornithologists' Union until 2004, at which point they changed their official listing of the bird to Rock Pigeon.In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". Baby pigeons are called squabs.

Thank you Ourai KHEMISSI