Royal Mail issues major stamp update to ‘raise awareness’ for UK households

Royal Mail is set to launch a new collection of stamps celebrating duck species. A total of 10 new stamps celebrate the diverse range of ducks in the UK.

The stamps have images of 10 duck species and breeds including goosander, Indian runner, mallard duckling, aylesbury and the eider.

Royal Mail worked with Steve Ormerod, Professor of Ecology, Water Research Institute/Cardiff School of Biosciences at Cardiff University, and waterfowl author, Dr Chris Ashton, on the stamps.

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There are more than 120 species of duck worldwide, including 22 found in the UK. David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, said: “We are pleased to showcase the beauty and variety of wild and domesticated duck species found across the UK, celebrating our rich wetland wildlife.

“Most of us will recognise some of the ducks on these stamps but we hope that the set will help to raise awareness of the less well-known species.”

Mr Ormerod said: “The UK’s wild ducks are among the most elegant of all our birds. Their diversity of life histories, behaviours and calls evokes the character of habitats ranging from local ponds, lochans and lakes to rivers, wetlands and coasts.

“Ducks have also played a central role in the human history of animal domestication – for example for food, pest control or as protected ‘rare breeds’. This spectrum from cultural connection to wilderness is celebrated in this beautiful collection of Royal Mail stamps.”

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order from today and go on general sale from September 11.

It comes as the owner of Royal Mail has said it will take “many months” to roll out changes that will see it ditch second class letter deliveries on Saturdays across the UK.

International Distribution Services (IDS) – which saw its £3.6 billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group complete in June – said it was yet to start expanding the reforms outside of the pilot already running across 35 delivery offices.