To mark the launch of World Wetlands Day on Thursday, Fish & Game New Zealand is launching a new game bird habitat stamp collection.

The Game Bird Habitat Stamp Programme is designed to raise money for the protection and enhancement of game bird habitat.

A sample of the game bird stamps.

This year's stamp launch will be the 19^th in the series and features the least common upland games birds in New Zealand – the bobwhite quail.

New Zealand Post releases the Game Bird Stamp on behalf of Fish & Game New Zealand.

The stamp is not valid for postage, but funds collected go towards habitat protection.

'We have long recognised the key to sustainable management and harvest of game birds is good habitat – look after the habitat and the birds and fish will look after themselves,” says Fish & Game communications advisor Grant Dyson.

He says buying habitat stamp programme items is a simple and practical way of giving direct support to habitat protection.

This programme is administered by the New Zealand Fish & Game Council.

Once costs have been recovered, the net funds are transferred to the New Zealand Game Bird Habitat Trust Board to apply for the protection, enhancement or creation of game bird and other wildlife habitat.

Grant says the Game Bird Habitat Trust has been influential in supporting many projects by recognising that often all that is needed to enable a project to go ahead is a modest grant.