New Issue: Experience Nature - Saba Birds (Netherlands)

This new set of stamps showing birds was issued on 5th January. The Netherlands have created many distinctive and beautiful miniature sheets in the past and this one is another fantastic sheet that I think a lot of collectors will enjoy.

There are ten stamps in the set, which celebrates Saba's birds. Like the more well-known Aruba and Curaçao, Saba is an island in the Caribbean Netherlands although it is not exactly a neighbour of these other islands - it is in the Windward Islands so is nearer to St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua and the Virgin Islands. Saba has a population of 2,150 and is quite small with an area of only 13 square kilometres, but it is home to more than 100 bird species. Some of these birds are quite rare including the Audubon's shearwater and the white-crowned pigeon.

These stamps show ten different species of birds found on Saba: red-billed tropicbird, bananaquit, smooth-billed ani, black-necked stilt, brown pelican, blue grosbeak, belted kingfisher, osprey, black-and-white warbler and Antillean crested hummingbird. I don't know a lot about birds (although I know a little bit about ospreys). What I can say is that the birds on here are very unusual and most are only found on a few Caribbean islands.

The Netherlands have been issuing Experience Nature stamps for their Caribbean islands since 2024. Last year there were four sets about the island of Sint Eustatius. I think this is a good idea because these islands are still part of the Netherlands and I can imagine most of the Dutch stamps won't have that much relevance to life in the Caribbean. It's also good because it shows that these islands are an important part of the Netherlands, even if they're quite a distance from Europe.

This year there will be four stamp issues to celebrate Saba, which will look at birds, butterflies, underwater life and flowers. Design Quality - These stamps look amazing! The pictures of the birds are really beautiful and they look like they are actually living in the places where they belong, like forests and near water. Each stamp is different, but when you look at the whole sheet together it feels like one big piece of art, almost like a puzzle that fits perfectly.

It’s also really good that the sheet gives you information about the birds and shows why Saba is such a special place for them. The only thing I don’t really like is that the word “Nederland” is very big and stands out too much. It gets in the way of the pictures. 9/10

Theme and Subject Choice - Choosing birds from Saba is a great idea! These birds are rare and lots of people probably don’t even know they exist (I didn't). The stamps help people learn about nature and discover new birds, which is exciting.

It also feels like the stamps are saying, “Don’t forget about this special island!” That makes the theme feel important and interesting. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - Birds are very important on Saba, so these stamps really matter to the people who live there. They show how special nature is on the island.

But when it comes to history and culture, it's hard to give a super high score for these. 7/10

Innovation and Creativity - These stamps are very creative and modern. They aren’t just photographs in boxes as some other bird stamps are. The designers mixed colours, shapes, birds and backgrounds in a really clever way. Each bird shows its own personality but together they represent the whole island of Saba, which is a really smart idea. It feels fresh and exciting and shows a lot of thought has gone into creating them. 9/10

Collectability - Thematic collectors who are into bird stamps will definitely want these. Even though there are lots of bird stamps in the world, some of these birds are very rare which makes them extra special.

Also, there aren’t many stamps about Saba, so that makes this set more interesting and harder to find. Collectors usually love that! 8/10

Personal appeal - I love these stamps! If you collect bird stamps, these are super special because they’re not just photos of birds. They tell a story about Saba, rare wildlife and nature all at once.

They feel meaningful, beautiful and exciting to look at. 10/10

Overall score - 51/60  This review was written by Heidi, with some help from Xanthe.