On March 14, 2026, Austrian Post issued a stamp featuring the Northern Lapwing. The stamp, measuring 40.00 x 30.00 mm and with a face value of €1.25, was designed by artist Lisa Filzi and printed using offset printing technology.
The Northern plover, chosen by Austria as the bird of the year for 2026, is the third design in the Austrian Post's "Birds in Austria" series of stamps showcasing endangered bird species.
With its iridescent black, white, and green plumage and crest, the Northern plover, roughly the size of a pigeon, is a striking bird often seen in rural farmlands. If you're lucky, you might witness their spectacular acrobatics from March to May each year. Northern plovers nest on the ground in farmland and often gather in flocks to defend themselves against predators. However, this doesn't protect them from the risks posed by agricultural work. Farmland has become their alternative habitat, replacing lost wetlands and sparsely cultivated, undisturbed areas.
Since 1998, the Northern plover population in Austria has halved. In the BirdLife Österreich Association's list, the Northern plover is ranked among the highest-priority protected species, and nests laid on agricultural land must be protected. Young birds must also be provided with areas where they can find food, such as swamps, wetlands, field edges, and fallow land near breeding grounds. Wetlands, in particular, provide a place where young birds can forage for food immediately after hatching and, in the best-case scenario, care for their young the following year.