N2301

Cranes

Whooping Crane

Collins Cover Announcement 

WHOOPING CRANE

Thought to be extinct as early as 1923, a small group of these remarkable birds somehow managed to survive hidden in the wild. Rediscovered in subsequent years, in 1941 a firm count was established and only twenty-one whooping cranes remained. Truly this placed the species on the very verge of extinction. By 1957 when the U.S. Post Office issued a whooping cranes stamp (Scott number 1098), their numbers had risen only slightly to thirty birds.

The whooper is America's tallest bird reaching a height of five feet and having a wing span of more than seven feet. They have loud, resonant calls which they emit both on the ground and during flight. The most spectacular habit of the crane is its elaborate dance ceremony. Dances are varied and are engaged in before mating and the whooping crane pairs for life.

My hand-painted cachet for this issue is quite unusual. A large, full moon dominates the cover casting its soft glow and reflection over a still, shallow bay. Along the water's edge walks a solitary whooper which I cast as the fragile thread that hung precariously between survival and extinction. Walking in the soft moonlight between eternal darkness or the promise of continuing morning suns.

Happily I am able to report that the population figures have now reached 270 which bode well for continual survival and renewal. The famous conservationist Aldo Leopold once said, "When we hear its call we hear no mere bird. He is the symbol of our untamable past." Most of us will never, in person, hear the loud, distinctive call of which Leopold spoke nor witness the elaborate, creative dance of this magnificent bird. But it is good to know that, rather than a memory, almost three hundred whoppers will greet tomorrow's sun. Item #N2301. $10.75.

Spring 2024 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 16 N2301 — Whooping Crane and N2302 — Black-Necked Crane (subscriber-only) — 10-9-94

This is a very interesting two-cover lot. Whooping cranes were thought to be extinct as early as 1923. Somehow a small group of these remarkable birds managed to survive hidden in the wild, and by 1957 their numbers had risen slightly to only 30 birds. The current population continues to increase, and today there are approximately 500 of these unusual birds in existence. The whooping crane is America's tallest bird reaching a height of five feet and having a wingspan of more than seven feet. They have loud, resonant calls which they emit both on the ground and during flight. The most spectacular habit of the crane is its elaborate dance ceremony which is performed before mating. Also of interest, the whooping crane pairs for life.

The black-necked crane is featured on one of this cover's two stamps. This bird is a Chinese species and was chosen for this joint philatelic issue with China. The cachet on this unique cover shows the black-necked crane flying over the Great Wall of China as it winds snake-like across the hilly countryside. Estimates are that only about 10,000 of these birds still exist, and they are protected by China, India, and Bhutan. The artwork on both stamps is the creation of China's foremost wildlife artist — Zhan Gengxi.