1987, Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) 42 Bulgarian Stotinki

Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)  

Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)  42 Bulgarian Stotinki 1988

Text: Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)  42 CT

Condition: Ø = used/cancelled

Title:   Birds

Face value:     42

Stamp Currency:       Bulgarian stotinka

Country/area:            Bulgaria

Year:   1988

Set:     1988 Vogels

Stamp number in set:           1

Basic colour:  Multi-coloured

Exact colour: 

Usage:            Franking

Type:   Stamp

Theme:           Animals (Fauna)

Stamp subject:           Oehoe Bubo bubo

Michel number:         3694

Yvert number:                       3227

Scott number:                        

Stanley Gibbons number:    3518    

Printing office:            

Perforation:    K 13 : 13¼

Watermark:     Without watermark

Printing:         Offset

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stamp printed in BULGARIA shows Bubo bubo, series, circa 1987

L 59-73 cm, WS 138-170 cm. Resident in mountains and forests, preferring areas with rocks, steep cliffs and mature trees (preferably conifers); often in rocky archipelagos. Scattered distribution, generally rare and local. Sedentary. Only a handful of genuine records in Britain, all in last century. Nocturnal and partly crepuscular. Day roost in dense mature spruces or firs, or in cave or crevice. Food mammals (voles, rats, hedgehogs, hares) and birds (corvids, gulls, wildfowl, etc.). Nests on inaccessible cliff-ledge or, less often, on the ground by rock or tree, exceptionally in abandoned raptor’s nest or in barn.

IDENTIFICATION: Largest owl, strong build enhanced by dense, ‘fluffy’ plumage; large-headed. When relaxed can appear barrel-shaped, when alert may display surprisingly long (but thick) neck. Ear-tufts long, visible except in flight, held flattish when relaxed or anxious, more erect when calling or disturbed. Flight powerful and steady, wing beats rather shallow, glides straight, recalling large buzzard (but head of course huge, and wings more arched when gliding). Eyes orange-red, large. Main colour below yellowish-brown with dark streaks, broad on breast. Upper parts darker brown, boldly streaked and vermiculated blackish. Throat white, exposed when calling. In flight, primary bases only slightly paler (yellowish-brown) than rest (cf. Great Grey Owl), boldly and evenly cross-barred. - Juvenile: Downy young recognized by proportionately huge bill and talons, and by nest site. Fledged young have fully feathered body at a few weeks of age, but told first few months by partly downy, rounded head with only small ear-tufts. - Variation: A smaller and in some areas paler (though variable) race (ascalaphus) in N Africa and parts of Middle East.

VOICE: Call of female a harsh barking ‘rhäev’. Alarm a fierce, startlingly loud, nasal barking ‘kwa!’, often 3-5 notes quickly repeated, ‘kwa-kwákwa!’. Anxiety-call nasal, muffled, gull-like ‘gaw’. Song deep sonorous booming ‘oo-hu’, second syllable falling in pitch, voice surprisingly faint at close range, still audible at 1½-4 km, usually repeated at intervals of 8-12 sec., at long range only first note heard (confusable with Long-eared Owl, but pace much slower). female has higher-pitched, hoarse version. Begging-call of young a loud, husky, scraping ‘chueesh’ (as when planing wood), heard through calm summer and early-autumn nights.