1628) "Torda Penguin," France: "Birds of the Islands" Postage Stamps of 1.08 Euro issued by La Poste (French Post) featuring the Torda Penguin from the Douarnenez Bay: Date of Stamp issue: 11.01.2021:
Birds Of The Islands - Torda Penguin - Set:
The razorbill or lesser auk (Alca torda) is a colonial seabird in the monotypic genus Alca of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (Pinguinis impennis). Wild populations live in the subarctic waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Razorbills are primarily black with a white underside. The male and female are identical in plumage; however, males are generally larger than females.
This agile bird, which is capable of both flight and diving, has a predominantly aquatic lifestyle and only comes to land in order to breed.
It is monogamous, choosing one partner for life. Females lay one egg per year. Razorbills nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed crevices.
The parents spend equal amounts of time incubating, and once the chick has hatched, they take turns foraging for their young.
In 1918, the razorbill was protected in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Presently, the major threat to the population is the destruction of breeding sites.
Razorbills are distributed across the North Atlantic; the world population of razorbills is estimated to be at less than 1,000,000 breeding pairs, making them among the rarest auks in the world. Approximately half of the breeding pairs occur in Iceland. Razorbills thrive at water surface temperatures below 15°C.
They are often seen with other larger auks, such as the thick-billed murre and common murre. However, unlike other auks, they commonly move into larger estuaries with lower salinity levels to feed.
These birds are distributed across sub-arctic and boreal waters of the Atlantic. Their breeding habitat is islands, rocky shores, and cliffs on northern Atlantic coasts, in eastern North America as far south as Maine, and in western Europe from northwestern Russia to northern France.
North American birds migrate offshore and south, ranging from the Labrador Sea south to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to New England. Eurasian birds also winter at sea, with some moving south as far as the western Mediterranean. Approximately 60 to 70% of the entire razorbill population breeds in Iceland.
The razorbill is the rarest and most threatened sea bird in France:
Despite its similar appearance to a penguin, it can fly very well! They are fearful and tend to flee if one gets too close to them. Chubby, with a hooked beak and black and white suit, this sea bird, which is the rarest and most threatened in France, comes to Brittany in the spring.
Notably in the Sept-Îles archipelago, where it nests (February to July), and in Douarnenez Bay, sheltered from the storms.
On water, the razorbill floats like a cork. The best way to see them is from a boat. But one can also see them in the ports, such as Le Conquet. This sociable bird enjoys the company of the common murre, which from afar looks just like it.
About the "Birds Of The Islands - Torda Penguin" - Stamps:
This Stamp issued by La Poste France, is from the Birds of the Islands block, dedicated to a vulnerable bird species that nests in Brittany on the seven islands and in Douarnenez Bay: the Torda penguin.
The 1.08 Euro Postage Stamp is titled "Pinguin Torda". It has the inscriptions on it - "FRANCE" and "La Poste 2021". It shows an image of a Torda Penguin in the centre.
Technical Details:
Stamp Issue Date: 11.01.2021
Designer: Valerie Besser
Process: Heliogravure
Stamp Values: €1.08
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