這一年的唯一｜伯利茲的瀕危雀鳥 重寫日期｜2026/2/1

在2007年重新玩郵票的時候，購買外國郵票的網絡比昔日變化很大，由以前被動地倚靠本地郵商購入轉而可以自己直接與世界各地郵政局聯繫並購買自己想要的郵票，這些故事我甚少在中文版網站分享。這篇翻譯及重寫自英文版的網誌介紹2009年伯利茲唯一發行的瀕危雀鳥郵票，就順道講一下從伯利茲郵政局買郵票的過程。

When I was collecting stamps again in 2007, the network for buying foreign stamps had changed a lot compared with the past. From passively relying on local dealers,

The only one in the year｜Endangered birds of Belize

I could directly contact post offices around the world and buy the stamps what I wanted, these stories I rarely share on this Chinese version blog.

這幅是我曾經介紹過的雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡原圖片，蓋不到首日特別戳是可惜了。 This maxicard of Yellow-headed Amazon that I was shown before, it is pity that I can’t obtain first day special cancellation.

1975年伯利茲與西印度群島英語系國家合組板球隊並贏得當年的世界盃冠軍，郵票上地圖最左邊在美洲大陸的是伯利茲。 In 1975, Belize teamed up with English-speaking countries in the West Indies and won the World Cup this year, the celbrated stamp shown Belize is on the far left of the map.

This translated and rewritten blog originally from the English version which introduces the only set of stamps features endangered bird issued in Belize in 2009, meanwhile write about the process of buying stamps from the Belize Post Office.

With the advent of the internet era, the philatelic services of most European post offices can use e-mail to negotiate orders and even payment transactions after Millennium, which is much more convenient than many letters and postal orders in the past. Of course, some people will worry about the security risks of credit cards. In fact, although there will be such considers, it is more freedom than buying from local dealers who do not sell up-today stamps or sell to regular customers; the cost will also be lower than those local dealers and through banks or postal orders.

隨著網絡時代的來臨，大部分歐洲國家郵政局的集郵服務在千禧年後都可以用電郵來洽談訂單甚至是付款交易，遠比昔日需要多次以書信來往及郵政𣾀款服務快捷方便，當然有人會擔心信用卡的保安風險，事實上雖然是會有此顧濾，但總比靠沒打算入貨或只賣熟客的本地郵商來得更有自由度；成本亦會比本地郵商或經銀行或郵政滙款低一截。然而我在向各地集郵部門敲門之初，有些比較偏門的國家未有此等系統，往往便要傳統方式購買郵票了。 位於中美洲最北的伯利茲係中南美洲大陸少數以英語作官方語言國家，1981年獨立建國以前為英國殖民地，在1862至1964年間稱作英屬洪都拉斯(British Honduras)，然後自治時期改稱作伯利茲直至獨立後名稱一直使用。他們的郵票也在1965年開始改印伯利茲作名稱惟仍印上皇室徽號，故此直到現在不論有沒有皇室徽號的伯利茲郵票都有效作郵資使用。對香港人而言，這地方比起鄰近的墨西哥的大名差天拱地，在上世紀八十年代有曾開放移民給香港人，當然美其名是移民實則是售賣護照賺取外匯，事實上當地的經濟不如理想，國內不少地方仍是未開發的森林或是農業社會，惟靠近加勒比海的區域因具堡礁地貌則有旅遊業支撐。 伯利茲自自治開始受惠於集郵風氣每年都發行不少郵票，有些是因郵票印刷商連帶關係而發行例如迪士尼卡通系列與自己國家沒甚麼關係的郵票，在獨立後除伯利茲本身外更有分支伯利茲堡礁(Cayes of Belize)發行郵票， 用以寄遞郵票的回郵信封是貼上昔日伯利茲堡礁郵票，然而所謂的寄遞其實就祇有雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡那一枚郵票。 The stamped envelope used to return stamps is affixed with the former Cayes of Belize stamps, but so-called this delivery is actually only Yellow-headed Amazon one. 這些郵票被海量推往歐美的集郵巿場，而被有心人吹噓作商業郵票並未能實際在郵政服務中使用，好景不常這個副綫僅在1984至86年間維持兩年便結束，連帶與印刷廠商的不尋常關係亦一併結束而回歸郵票純粹在當地售賣作郵寄用途；例外的當然有大型郵商作批發銷售，而發行次數也巨減至每年一至兩套左右。 在郵票發行回歸隱世其經濟活動也是非常隱世，甚至是十分原始，據稱當地至2010年代仍然有以物易物的情況，但大多數情況都是使用現金，不難想像美金在當地也是普遍使用因而伯利茲元如港元一樣和美金掛鈎實行聯繫滙率。這個情況對購買郵票就十分易辦了，因為只需要寄遞美元鈔票至郵政局便不用理會𣿬率的波動，保證如書信來往溝通時的數量相對。2009年伯利茲發行了他們唯一一套郵票，一共5枚繪畫當地瀕危雀鳥， 郵寄製作原圖片的原來信封我有請她一併退回，可見這紀錄了郵遞過程耗時近3個月。 The orginal Hongkong envvelope is returned by philatelic department, which shows that it takes nearly 3 months to process the mail. 雖然僅得5枚但大如猛禽細至嗚禽都有被挑選，據查是郵政局邀請本土觀鳥家Peter Herrera挑選。我嘗試以電郵查詢購買狀況，回覆稱只能寄遞美鈔支付郵票費用，這我就以掛號方式把美鈔及貼上伯利茲堡礁時期郵票回郵信封一併寄至郵政局，這除了「節省」回程郵費外，實際我是想收集貼有伯利茲岩礁時期郵票的信封，如果能夠證明可以使用的話那純粹商業郵票不能使用之說不攻自破了。 香港郵寄信件至伯利茲需時3個月，掛號郵件至美國後便不會再有追蹤顯示，這和美國的郵遞政策頗有關係：美國和加拿大郵政部門認為掛號郵件等同內有貴重物件，開放追蹤等於公開財物流動狀態而給有心人有機可乘；相反從中南美洲抵達美國中轉的掛號郵件也有機會被當成普通信函處理，這樣狀況令人非常無奈。但伯利茲郵政局也是異常可靠，數次的經驗也沒什麼損失，管理集郵部的Roxanna Williams更是在此崗位十多年，至2022年有朋友到訪伯利茲郵政總局仍然見到她兼顧這個一人部門。 這次我把5枚郵票製成2個信封和1幅原圖片，原圖片上的雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡(Amazona oratrix belizensis)我在另文介紹了，下面我會非常簡單介紹餘下4種。

However, since the beginning of sending letters to these forgein philatelic departments, some remote countries do not have such updated systems, so only can buy stamps in the traditional way such situation.

Belize, located in the northernmost part of Central America, is one of the few countries in Central and South America where English is the official language. It was a British colony before the establishment of independence in 1981, before it was self-government and named British Honduras from 1862 to 1964. Their stamps also began to be the name of Beliz in 1965, but still printed with the royal emblem during self-government period, thus until now all the Beliz stamps after 1965 are valid for postage. For Hongkongers, this place is far behind the name of neighbouring Mexico. In the 1980s, immigration was opened to Hongkongers but the truth is that immigrants is actually selling passports to earn foreign exchange. In fact, the local economy is not as good as ideal, and many places in inland areas are still undeveloped forests or agricultural societies, only the area close to the Caribbean Sea is supported by tourism due to its barrier reef landform.

Belize has benefitted from the philatelic atmosphere since its self-government period, many stamps have been issued every year. Some of them are issued cooperation with stamp printers such as the Disney or no relationship to its country. After independence, beside of Belize itself, there were also issued stamps with a name ‘Cayes of Belize’, these stamps were massively pushed to the philatelic markets in Europe and the United States, and were boasted as commercial stamps and failed to be used in the postal service. However the ‘Cayes of Belize’ stamps issued only two years from 1984 to 1986, and the cooperation with stamp printers also ended, Belize stamps returned to local sale and purely for postal purposes, the exception is large purhase for wholesale sales, and the number of issue was reduced to about one or two sets per year.

When the stamp issue policy returned to seclusion, its economic activities are also very reclusive and primitive. It is said that there was still a situation of barter in there until 2010s, but in most cases cash is used. It is not difficult to imagine that the US dollar is also widely used in the local area, so the Belizean dollar is linked to the US dollar like the Hong Kong dollar with Linked Exchange Rate System. Thus this situation is very easy to buy stamps because you only need to send US dollar notes to the post office without paying attention to the fluctuation of the exchange rate, to ensure that the number of letters communicates is relative. In 2009, Belize issued their only set of stamps this year, with a total of 5 local endangered birds. Although only 5 were obtained were selected as from songbird to large as birds of prey. These birds selected by local bird watcher Peter Herrera, who invited by the post office. I tried to inquire about the purchase status by e-mail, and replied that only US dollars could be sent to pay for the stamps.

1964年伯利茲實行自治，在1962年發行的雀鳥郵票加蓋「自治政府 1964」作過渡性質。 An overprinted stamps set issued in 1964 for transitional period, the bird stamps set originally issued in 1962.

Then I sent the US banknotes with a stamped with ‘Cayes of Belize’ stamps return envelope to post office by registered mail. It is not only ‘saving’ the return postage, and I actually can collect envelopes with ‘Cayes of Belize’ stamps, it can be proved that those stamps still can be used.

It takes 3 months to mail letters from Hong Kong to Belize, and there will be no more tracking after the registered mail arrives in the United States. This situation is related to the postal policy of the United States snd Canada: the postal departments believe that registered mail is equivalent to valuable objects in it, and tracking is equivalent to open the valuable status to public, giving those who have a chance to take advantage of it; on the contrary,

郵政局發行的首日封，這些集郵品多數供應海外常設訂戶。 The official first day cover is available for overseas standing order customers.

registered mails from Central and South America arriving in the United States also has same situation and have chance to be treated as ordinary letters. Fortunatly the Belize Post Office is also extremely reliable, and experiences has not been lost several times. Roxanna Williams, who manages the Philatelic Department, has been in this position for more than 10 years, a friend visited the Belize Post Office and still saw her taking care of this one-person department in 2002.

These 5 stamps are affixed to 2 envelopes and 1 maxicard. The Yellow-headed Amazon maxicard introduced in another article. Below I will introduce the remaining 4 species very briefly.

伸延閱讀｜
亞種總是瀕危｜雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡和馬仙納氏虹彩吸蜜鸚鵡

郵票是難得的繪畫得很精美，而且印刷也算有水準，據查是加拿大Ashton-Potter印刷，2000年代不少英聯邦國家以至香港都曾經在這裡印刷郵票，這套郵票其餘4枚郵票分別是近危的南美洲猛禽角雕(Harpia harpyja)，伯利茲外的墨西哥灣是她們活動最北的地方；綠旋蜜雀(Chlorophanes spiza)，無危級別的寶石藍色的中南美洲留鳥；與綠旋蜜雀同樣生活在中南美洲森林邊緣地帶的灰藍食籽雀(Sporophila schistacea)，也是無危級別。最後是大鳳冠雉(Crax rubra)，這中型的近危級別雀鳥僅在中美洲生活。

The stamps are beautifully illustrated and the printing in high quality, according to reports, they were printed by Ashton-Potter in Canada. In the 2000s, many Commonwealth countries and even Hong Kong used to print stamps here. The remaining four stamps in this set are Harpy Eagle, it is the endangered South American raptor, The Gulf of Mexico off Belize is the northernmost place it habits; Green Honeycreeper, a least concern sapphire blue resident bird of Central and South America; also Slate-coloured Seedeater, as well as Green Honeycreeper it habits on the edge of forests in Central and South America. The last one is Great Curassow, this medium-sized near-threatened bird is found only in Central America.