New Issue: Real Woodpeckers of Belgium (Belgium)

A new issue from Belgium is called "Real Woodpeckers of Belgium", which makes you ask whether they have a "Fake Woodpeckers of Belgium" issue planned for next year. However, the strange title doesn't really matter. Here we have five stamps (two large, three small) depicting Belgium's native woodpeckers. These are the Eurasian Green Woodpecker (left, top), the Black Woodpecker (left, bottom), the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (right, top), the Middle Spotted Woodpecker (right, middle) and the Greater Spotted Woodpecker (right, bottom).

The drawings are very detailed and show male and females of each species. They also show juveniles when they look different. The illustrations are set against a plain background and they feel like something from a scientific book on birds. There is nothing wrong with this but it feels more like a "How to identify woodpeckers" card than a miniature sheet. What is a bit different is the QR codes. You may know that I am not a big fan of these on stamps, but in this case they are there to help you discover the sounds of the different woodpeckers. I've tried it and it works! For each woodpecker you can hear a recording of its song, it's social call, its territorial call, it's cry in flight and its drumming. it's very impressive.

Design Quality: The illustration style is quite scientific and detailed. It gives the woodpeckers dignity but doesn't really bring them to life. The QR code doesn't make the stamps look better, but it is small and quite subtle. Obviously the QR code is an important part of the design and in this case it allows us to listen to the birds in different situations. 7/10

Theme and Subject Choice: Local wildlife is always a good subject choice for stamps although it is a very common one. 7/10 Historical and Cultural Relevance: Woodpeckers have some cultural relevance in Belgium and feature in several folk legends, but I don't think that is what the designers had in mind here. Woodpeckers are quite common birds in Belgium. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity: The illustration is not creative or innovative, but adding a QR code that lets you listen to different calls definitely is. 9/10

Collectability: Birds are a very popular choice for thematic collectors and these are quite different so should stand out. I imagine that people who collect bird stamps would want to add these to their collections. 8/10 Personal Appeal: I have seen QR codes on stamps but never any that link to bird songs. This really helps to bring the birds to life in a way the drawings don't by themselves. I like the idea of interactive stamps. 8/10 Overall Score: 49/60