The postage stamp collection featuring kingfishers is schedule to be published by the Vietnam Post on November 14. Photo vnpost.vn

Consisting of three 37-by-37-millimetre postage stamps and one 150-by-100-millimetre stamp block, the new collection aims to promote the bird conservation as well as to present the biological diversity of Vietnam.    

Designed by painter Nguyen Du of the Vietnam Post, the collection features different kinds of kingfishers, including black-backed kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca), Blyth’s kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis), and black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata).

Kingfishers are a family of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds, divided into three subfamilies – Alcedinidae, Halcyonidae, and Cerylidae. Kingfishers are widely seen in different continents in the world, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Oceania.

While kingfishers are usually thought to live near rivers and eat fish, many species live away from water and consume small invertebrates.

Kingfishers often nest in holes, usually tunnels dug into the ground of water banks. Currently, some species of kingfisher are in danger of extinction, so conservation is a matter of concern of many countries, including Vietnam.

Earlier, in March 1996, the Vietnam Post has released another ‘Kingfisher’ stamp collection, featuring five birds of the family, including white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), crested kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), ruddy kingfisher (Actenoides concretus), and pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis).

Both the current and the soon-released ‘Kingfisher’ collections will be available on the public postal network until June 30, 2022. VNS

Stamps tell the story of a nation

More than just a way of paying to send a letter or parcel, stamps are also a kind of cultural commodity that convey a country’s political, cultural, and social message. And they tell stories about the nation in its own language.