Card of the Day - 2022-03-07

The Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot, this attractive feathered friend was first recorded in 1758 by the prolific Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. It is found in many countries of South America, usually in forests, but as these decrease, the birds, who live in very large groups, are forced to move on. 

They are often sold as pets, and can learn to talk, but they must be given lots of freedom and attention and treated as one of the family rather than being left alone in their cage all day. They can live for a century, but forty is more normal in captivity, and this is something else that must be considered.

They were our card of the day because of the Amazon River in South America, after which the birds are named, and which is the largest river in the world if you count by the amount of water that flows from its delta, though this is mainly because it has several mouths. As to whether it is the longest river in the world, there is constant debate and many expeditions by scientific bodies. Suffice to say it is either the Amazon, or the Nile in Egypt. 

This set was issued in three forms, standard sized cards, standard sized transfers, and large sized cards. It is a most attractive set, and the white backgrounds with a hint of tinting, really make the colours of the birds stand out

They first appear in our original reference book to the issues of John Player & Son, that`s RB.17, published in 1950. The entry there reads as follows : 

• 18. AVIARY AND CAGE BIRDS. Fronts in colour. Backs in grey. Home issues. 
  
  A. 50. Small card, non-adhesive. Backs with descriptive text. Issued August 1933.
  
  B. 50.  Small transfers. Backs with instructions for use. Special booklet issued
  
  C. 25. Large cards, adhesive. Titled "Aviary & Cage Birds". Backs with descriptive text. Issued February 1935

However this is the last time you will find them all together, for just six years later, with the publication of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, just two remain joined, namely : 

• AVIARY AND CAGE BIRDS. Sm. Nd. (50) See RB.17/18 ... P72-66
  
  A. Cards.
  
  B. Transfers. 

As for the large version, which we feature in our newsletter of the 6th of June, 2026, as the diary date for Wednesday the 10th of June, they have been removed. This is because the World Tobacco Issues Index is catalogued by date, not alphabetically, as the reference books had been. So whilst the two home issues find a slot within Section 2.B, for "Issues 1923-39. Excluding cards with adhesive back". the large set, with an adhesive back, has to wait until Section 2.C, for "Issues 1934-39. Cards with adhesive back". Now that does rather beg the question why Player delayed issuing the large version for quite so long, bur anyway, there they are, recorded as : 

• AVIARY AND CAGE BIRDS. Lg. Nd. (25) See RB.17/18.C. No album ... P72-154

The following list shows the cards that appear in this small sized set, along with their numbers in the larger sized set of twenty five

small no.	title on front of card	large no.
1.	- Norwich Canary	-   1.
2.	- Dark Crested Norwich Canary	-   2.
3.	- Clear Crest-Bred Canary
4.	- Yorkshire Canary	-   3.
5.	- White Yorkshire Canary
6.	- Yellow Cinnamon Canary	-   4.
7.	- Border Fancy Canary	-   5.
8.	- Green Canary
9.	- Lizard Canary	-   6.
10.	- Dutch Frill Canary
11.	- Scots Fancy Canary
12.	- Lancashire Canary	-   7.
13.	- London Fancy Canary
14.	- Goldfinch-Canary Mule	-   8.
15.	- Bullfinch-Canary Mule
16.	- Greenfinch-Canary Mule
17.	- Greenfinch-Bullfinch Hybrid	-   9.
18.	- Goldfinch-Bullfinch Hybrid	- 10.
19.	- Redpoll- Bullfinch Hybrid	- 11.
20.	- Green Budgerigar	- 12.
21.	- Blue Budgerigar	- 13.
22.	- Yellow Budgerigar	- 14.
23.	- Mauve Greywing Budgerigar	- 15.
24.	- African Grey Parrot	- 16.
25.	- Indian Ring-Necked Parakeet	- 17.
26.	- Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrot
27.	- Red-Collared Lorikeet	- 18.
28.	- Swainson`s Lorikeet	- 19.
29.	- Rosy - or Peach-Faced Lovebird
30.	- Red and Blue Macaw	- 20.
31.	- Rose-Crested Cockatoo
32.	- Red-Headed Gouldian Finch	- 21.
33.	- Black-Headed Gouldian Finch
34.	- Zebra Finch
35.	- Green Avadavat
36.	- Superb Tanager	- 22.
37.	- Australian Crimson Finch	- 23.
38.	- Napoleon Weaver Bird
39.	- Orange-Cheeked Waxbill
40.	- Java Sparrow
41.	- Virginian Cardinal
42.	- Ribbon - or Cut Throat Finch
43.	- Violet- Eared Waxbill
44.	- Yellow-Rumped Finch
45.	- Green Singing Finch
46.	`- Black Headed Siskin
47.	- Nonpareil (Pintailed) Grass Finch	- 24.
48.	- Nonpareil Bunting
49.	- Diamond Finch
50.	- Parrot Finch	- 25

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