Two new sets of BirdLife International stamps have been issued that highlight bird diversity in the Pacific. ‘Threatened fruit-doves of the Pacific’ is one of three sheets from Nauru and includes illustrations of the globally threatened Mariana Fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla, Cook Islands Fruit-dove P. rarotongensis, Rapa Fruit-dove P. huttoni, Atoll Fruit-dove P. coralensis, Henderson Fruit-dove P. insularis and Whistling Dove P. layardi. The pigeons of the Solomon Islands are also commemorated in three sheets of stamps, one featuring Stephan's Dove Calcophaps stephani, Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica, Crested Cuckoo-dove Reinwardtoena crassirostris, Claret-breasted Fruit-dove P. viridis, Yellow-bibbed Fruit-dove P. solomonensis and Red-knobbed Imperial-pigeon Ducula rubricera. The stamps are available to purchase online from Sovereign Stamps (Crown Agents). (BirdLife 19-09-2005).

The latest (2004) annual report on The state of the UK's birds has been released. This report produced by the RSPB on behalf of a number of organisations involved in the conservation of UK birds provides the latest information on the fortunes of birds throughout the UK and its Overseas Territories. Numbers of Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur are still decreasing rapidly and are now down to a fifth of those in 1970.
(RSPB 15-08-2005). Download the full report from the RSPB.