An ‘Early’ classic bird set
Angola 1951 definitive issue of 24 values, a popular and sought after set that eclipsed any other bird theme for Southern Africa
Ten years later RSA, SWA and Bechuanaland finally depicted some birds on their stamps
Angola’s next set of birds appeared more than 30 years later in 1984
For more Angola issues see Part II further down this page

Belgian Congo - Congo
15 November 1959 - A set of Wildlife (12 values) includes a 20c Rhino with two Western Cattle Egrets in the foreground
On 19 September 1960 the stamp was overprinted KATANGA
In 1964 the same stamp was surcharged 1F and overprinted CONGO and it was then overprinted REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO

South West Africa
14 February 1961 First Decimal Definitive includes the Lesser Flamingo in flight on the 3c value and on the ground on the 5c
Initially both values with a Coat of Arms watermark on unsurfaced paper followed by various reprints
No Watermark 5c (1965) - Watermark RSA Tete-Beche 3c (1970) Swiss paper and 5c (1968) on Swiss and Harrison paper
No Watermark on Phosphor paper (1973) 3c
For more SWA issues see Part II further down this page

Republic of South Africa (RSA)
31 May 1961 First RSA definitives three out of 13 values included birds - ½c Kingfisher, 3c Shrike and 20c Secretary bird
Original design Watermark Coat of Arms (½c, 3c & 20c) 1961 - 63 No watermark (3c & 20c) 1964 Watermark RSA (20c)
Redrawn design 1964 Watermark RSA (½c & 3c) 1967 - 68 Watermark RSA Tete-beche - Swiss Paper (½c, 3c & 20c)
1969 ½c New design from sheets (Perforation 14 x 13½) or coils (Perforation 14 x 15)
1969 Phosphor frame on Swiss and Harrison paper (½c, 3c & 20c) 1971 - 72 Phosphor paper (3c & 20c)
1973 Phosphorised Glossy paper - No watermark ½c (from coils only) 3c & 20c
For more RSA issues see Part II further down this page

RSA 1966 Fifth Republic Anniversary
‘The Freedom-bird’

Bechuanaland
2 October 1961 This pictorial definitive includes eight low values from 1c to 12½c depicting birds
When the country became a Republic in 1966, the same stamps were overprinted ‘REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA’ on 30 September 1966

Swaziland
24 April 1962 A pictorial definitive includes three values (5c, 10c and 50c) depicting birds
On 1 May 1968 the 5c value was surcharged with a ‘3c’ overprint
When the country became a Independent in 1968, the same stamps were overprinted ‘INDEPENDENCE 1968’
The next issue of birds on stamps is a 1976 Definitive of 15 values

Nyasaland - Malawi
None of the Nyasaland stamps include a bird, in July 1964 the country gained Independence and was renamed Malawi
In November 1968 they issued a very attractive bird definitive with 14 values from 1d to £2
Four of the values were later overprinted for different reasons.

September 1970 - 10t on 1/- Double Surcharge SG 356a
Only two examples on an Airmail envelope to the USA is known
Cancelled with a BLANTYRE 8 FEB 1971 machine cancel

Basutoland - Lesotho
Basutoland did not issue any bird stamps and the country attained Self-Government in 1965
On 4 October 1966 it became the Independent Kingdom of Lesotho and on 1 March 1971 issued a set of seven with birds
In 1981 the first ‘Bird’ definitive followed and in later years the issues abound with birds on stamps and are too numerous to include on this page

Part II - Alphabetical Listing
From Angola to Zimbabwe (17 Countries)

Angola Bird Stamps
After their classic 1951 set no birds adored Angola’s stamps until November 1984 and in 1992 four stamps depict Rosy-faced Lovebirds
In 1994 there was a 4 value Tourism issue which includes one stamp with four birds on it
In 1996 Angolan birds on stamps became abundant and two sets of 12 each depict Game birds and Humming birds which were also issued in sheetlets
Two seperate miniature sheets that was followed by an Angola se-tennant Composite ‘Fauna’ issue of 12 stamps of which seven include birds

2 June 1992

Nature Protection
Rosy-faced
Lovebirds

Botswana previously the Bechuanaland Protectorate

Independence on 30 September 1966 and earlier issues illustrated previously (above) include the
1966 REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA overprints and the 1967 Bird Definitive
Besides commemorative sets and definitive overprints, Botswana features 90 bird designs on six definitive issues and issued a total of over 160 bird stamps

Only a sample of the 1978, 1982, 1997 and 2014 bird definitives are illustrated on this page and the complete sets
including the various surcharged stamps may be viewed on the Botswana definitive page

1975 - 2017 Botswana Commemoratives depicting Birds

30 September 1991
Tourism Year
4 Values
Three with birds

Okavango Delta

35t - Fish Eagles
P2 - Fish Eagles & Ducks

12 December 2001 - Wetlands (2nd series) Chobe River

18 December 2002 - Wetlands (3rd series) Makgadikgadi Pans

Ciskei
South African Homeland 1981 - 1994
The first definitive issue of 17 denominations depicted birds and six additional values followed (1984 - 1990)
Two commemorative sets include Owls and Aviary birds each with an additional Philatelic Foundation MS

Lesotho was Basutoland
The 1971 set of seven is illustrated above in Part I and the next set to depict birds is the 1981 definitive of 14 values and a
booklet with an attractive cover showing a Hoopoe accompanied this issue.
The same designs were are known with different ‘Year’ Imprints and during 1986 there were numerous local surcharges on the same stamps
In 1988 a second bird definitive of 15 values followed and gradually over the years Lesotho issued more and more bird stamps
Currently this section illustrates a sample of issues, a complete list may be viewed via this link

1981 M4.50
Booklet

Containing
5s, 6s,7s and 25s
in blocks of 10

Malawi was Nyasaland
In Part I (above) the 1968 - 1971 bird stamps are illustrated and in 1975 a second definitive depicting birds was issued printed on watermarked (Cockerels)
Paper and some seven months later five values were reprinted without a watermark and three values were overprinted in 1975 - 76
Malawi has proved to be a country with a prolic number of birds on stamps and over 100 designs have been issued

Mozambique

Namibia previously South West Africa
Namibia came into being on 21 March 1990 and their stamp issues are produced by various Artists that are well known names as the designers
of the former SWA stamps. The first issue of birds is by A.H. Barrett who is an ‘all round’ designer and one of the most prolific producers of the stamps of
RSA, the Homelands and SWA/Namibia.
Other names are Julia Birkhead, a self-taught artist who captured the essence of whatever animal, bird, plant or insect she painted.
David C. Thorpe - He was trained as a fine artist in the UK, selling paintings through Windsor and Eton Fine Arts Gallery and
Brighton Fine Arts Gallery before becoming a designer and illustrator for Mitchell Beazley Publishers (later to become Dorling Kindersley).

The 1998 Owls are by Helge Denker, born in Namibia in 1969 and grew up on a farm east of Windhoek and completed high school in South Australia,
where he also studied visual art and graphic design. He returned to Namibia in 1990 and has worked here, as well as in other parts of Africa,
as an artist, writer, naturalist, guide and consultant since then. Denker has illustrated and designed over 300 postage stamps for Namibia.

Anja Denker first encountered stamp design when she attended a course offered by Koos van Ellinckhuijzen in 1997 and
for her there was an immediate attraction to the discipline.

3 June 1994

Storks

By A.H. Barrett

15 May 1997 - Endangered Species - Jackass Penguins by David Thorpe

Western Barn Owl MS

Flora and Fauna in a Composite Sheetlet of 10
Designer/Artist Helge Denker

11 October 2004
First Joint SAPOA Issue

African Fish Eagle

Stanley Crane

Cattle Egret

African Fish Eagles

Bar-tailed Trogon

Purple-crested Turaco

Peregrine Falcon

Fish Eagles flying

Sunbirds First Day Cover