Bluebird

Front:
USAO3 USA03 URORA JUN 22 Eastern Bluebind RAFastern luebind 199 800 25 Yosemite CHUCK RIPPER CO

Back:
BLUEBIRD First Day of Issue: June 22, 1991 First Issue Location: Aurora, Colorado There is no more blue than that of a bluebird returning in the spring. Even before winter has retreated and the first hints of green caress the meadows and forests, the blue- bird will make its colorful appearance in northern cli- mates. In the United States, there are three distinct species of bluebird, all of the genus Sialia. The Eastern bluebird — depicted on the stamp on this Maximum Card — is found in the fields and orchards of the eastern half of the United States. Bluebirds nest in tree cavities, and such places normally make very good homes. However, the cutting of dead trees for firewood or aesthetics as well as the introduction of Old World English sparrows and starlings, has sent the Eastern bluebird in particular into a serious decline. Consequently, some ornithologists and bird en- thusiasts have acted to help out the bluebird by construct- ing bird houses designed especially for the Eastern blue- bird. The early results are promising and it appears as if this azure beauty will continue to brighten the drab fields of pre-spring. No. 91-45 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Chuck Ripper