Detail

`The Ministry of Information and Communication has been issuing special stamps each year commemorating rare and endangered animal and plant species in an effort to publicize their plight and protect them. This year, four kinds of endangered bird species are featured on the stamps. Falcon(Falco peregrinus) Natural Monument No.323 Nesting alone on cliff ledges, often along the coast or on an island, the falcon feeds primarily on small birds and chickens. Upon spotting its prey, the falcon climbs high in the sky and then plummets down at an impressive speed with its wings closed to capture the prey in its talons. The falcon has a gray upper body and a creamy white throat, while its lower breast and abdomen is typically a buff color with black bars. It breeds in eastern Siberia, along the Sea of Okhotsk, and in Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Korea and Japan. Chinese Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter soloensis) Natural Monument No.323 The Chinese sparrow hawk is a common summer visitor throughout central Korea. It inhabits oak and pine trees on plains and hills, frequently near farming villages. Its head, back and tail are blackish gray with five dark brown bands on the tail. It feeds chisfly on frogs. The sparrow hawk can be found from moderate to subtropical zones including eastern Asia, from south Manchuria to Kwangtung in China, han Korea. Steller`s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) Natural Monument No.243 The steller`s sea eagle is a winter visitor and is chiefly found on sea coasts, or along large rivers and lakes slightly inland.The sea eagle has a blackish brown body with white on the forehead, shoulders, and tail. The bill and the toes are extremely large and yellow. It is usually a solitary bird, but at times it congregates in groups of five or six together with eagles and white-tailed sea eagles. It generally feeds on dead salmon. The Steller`s sea eagle summers on the Kamchatka peninsula, the Amur River and Sakhalin, and winters in Usuri, Korea, and Hokkaido. Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) Natural Monument No.324 Characterized by two large tufts of black feathers on the head, the eagle owl is tawny overall, with mottled black dits running up and down its breast, back and wings, and dark brown patches on other body parts. This nocturnal bird roosts within rock crevices or ledges, small caves and river cliffs in the northern half of Korea. The eagle owl feeds mainly on game birds, hares, rats, mice, frogs, snakes, lizards, and insects. Its habitat is Korea and eastern China. ·`