# 2642-46 - 1992 29c Hummingbirds

US #2642-46
1992 Hummingbirds

• Pictures five species of hummingbirds found in the US
• Original paintings used for images created by Chuck Ripper, who had painted many other US bird stamps

Category of Stamp:  Commemorative
Value:  29¢, First-class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue:  June 15, 1992
First Day City:  Washington, Dc
Quantity Issued:  87,728,000
Printed by:  American Bank Note Company
Printing Method/Format:  Photogravure
Perforations:  10.9

Reason the stamp was issued:  Birds are a favorite topical stamp subject, and people are fascinated by hummingbirds.

About the stamp design:  The artwork for the hummingbird stamps was done by Chuck Ripper.  He is the talent behind many stamps featuring birds and nature in past, including a Broad-tailed hummingbird on the American Wildlife pane of 50. 

The artist picked these five species of hummingbirds because they “covered the most ground geographically and also offered color variety.”  Each stamp shows a hummingbird in flight with a red flower, which is found in its range.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue ceremony was held during the National Audubon Society’s convention held at American University in Washington, DC.

More fun facts:  Hummingbirds are found only in Western Hemisphere.  John James Audubon called them “glittering fragments of the rainbow” because of their iridescent colors.  They are the smallest family of birds and have the fastest metabolism.  They can hover, fly backwards, up, and down.  The name is from sound of rapidly beating wings.  Hummingbirds have pointed beaks that are ideal for fitting inside flowers to get to the nectar and insects.

The booklet includes the following hummingbirds:

Ruby Throated Hummingbird: Its summer range is the eastern 2/3 of US.  The male has patch on throat that appears black, but shows bright red or orange in sunlight, giving this species its name.

Broad-Billed Hummingbird: As its name suggests, this bird has a wide beak, which is unique among North American hummingbirds.  Its feathers are metallic bronze-green above, with a metallic blue throat.  The broad-billed hummingbird winters in Mexico and summers in southern Arizona and New Mexico.

Costa’s Hummingbird: This species is also pictured on booklet cover.  It was named in 1839 for Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, a French Marquis who owned large collection of hummingbirds.  This is the second smallest hummingbird species in North America, next to the Calliope.  The male has purple on its crown and throat, with purple streamers on the sides of neck.  The Costa’s hummingbird spends the warmer months in the southwestern US and northwest Mexico, then migrates to western Mexico in the colder months.

Rufous Hummingbird: This bird summers farther north than any other hummingbird – up to Alaska.  Its migration is one of the longest of all birds, wintering in Mexico; a distance of almost 4,000 miles.  The male is mostly reddish brown (or rufous) with bright scarlet at neck.

Calliope Hummingbird: This is the smallest bird in North America, with a length of less than four inches.  Its coloring is metallic green on its back and white below.  The male also has metallic purple feathers under it chin.  The calliope can be found in the mountains of the Western US, at elevations up to 11,500 feet.