Plumes on your mail: Retd IFS officer Madiraju Lokeswara Rao releases book on Himalayan bird stamps

Where can you find India’s vibrant Monal Pheasant, Nepal’s Great Himalayan Barbet or Bhutan’s Satyr Tragopan in one place? Weaving together the tales of Himalayan birds and various philatelic products, Madiraju Lokeswara Rao, a retired IFS officer from the batch of 1983, has compiled a book titled Himalayan Birds on Stamps, that narrates the story of different species of Himalayan birds. Coupled with climatic events such as cloud bursts, the region has faced landslides and flooding causing major destruction and damage,” Madiraju Lokeswara Rao said, adding. “It has severely affected avian populations — an important marker for a healthy ecosystem — and they need protection.” Stamps and philatelic products have been a tool for conservation in India since 1975. Rao’s book gives a comprehensive view of philatelic material such as stamps, stamp blocks, first-day covers, postcards, miniature sheets and maxim cards that features Himalayan birds from different countries.