Nunavut’s official bird stars on new Canada Post stamp

Here’s the new Canada Post stamp that bears an image representing Nunavut’s official bird, the rock ptarmigan. (IMAGE COURTESY OF CANADA POST

The humble rock ptarmigan, known throughout most of Nunavut as the aqiggiq, is featured on a new stamp that Canada Post issued last week.

Because the ptarmigan is Nunavut’s official bird, a stylized image of a ptarmigan done by illustrator Keith Martin has found its way into a new Canada Post stamp series called “Birds of Canada.”

“Recently unveiled, the stamps are the first in a three-year series that celebrates the diversity of Canada’s bird life. Each species was selected because it is the official bird of its respective province or territory,” Canada post said in a release.

Harvested frequently and in large numbers by Nunavut hunters, ptarmigan live year round throughout the Arctic.

Their feet are covered with feathers to help them retain warmth and walk on the snow in the winter, when their mottled brown summer plumage turns white.

Another bird familiar to many Nunavut residents is also featured in the new stamp series: the common raven, which is the official bird of Yukon.