The 2006 IUCN Red List was only published last month; however, BirdLife International, who are responsible for the bird Red List, are already working on the 2007 list. They recently posted a new set of proposals for changes to species' categories that included two Asian species of pigeon and your comments and relevant information are welcomed.

Tawitawi Brown-dove Phapitreron cinereiceps - currently classified as Critically Endangered but recent information is required to reassess this classification.

Mindanao Bleeding-heart Gallicolumba crinigera - downlist from Endangered to Vulnerable?

Other proposals are also invited - visit the Globally Threatened Bird Forums (BirdLife 06.06.2006).

The IUCN Red List category was revised in May 2006 to produce the 2006 IUCN Red List. The status of two species of pigeons were changed in these revisions:

Pemba Green-pigeon Treron pembaensis, a species endemic to the small island of Pemba, 55 km off the coast of northern Tanzania, was upgraded from Least Concern to Vulnerable as a result of a continued population decline due to habitat loss / degradation. It's global population is currently thought to number between 2500 and 9999 birds.

West Peruvian Dove Zenaida meloda has been split from the White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica and is now recognised as a full species and categorised as Least Concern. (See: Banks R.C., Cicero C., Dunn J.L., Kratter A.W., Rasmussen P.C., Remsen J.V., Rising J.D., Stotz D.F. (2004) Forty-sixth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 122(3): 1026-1031.)

This now means BirdLife recognise 317 species of pigeon, of which 12 are extinct, one is extinct in the wild, 59 are threatened with extinction and 38 are Near Threatened (BirdLife 04.05.2006).

Forest fires do not automatically result in a more impoverished pigeon avifauna in the rain forests of Kalimantan, Indonesia. In a comparison of bird abundance in undisturbed, single burn and repeatedly burned forests in eastern Borneo, Green Imperial pigeon Ducula aenea was most abundant in undisturbed and single burn forest, Large Green Pigeon Treron capellei and Little Green Pigeon Treron olax preferred repeatedly burned forest, while Emerald dove Chalcophaps indica was unaffected by forest fire. The authors note, however, that when fires become too frequent for the vegetation to recover, both the flora and avifauna are likely to become seriously negatively affected to the point that recovery becomes impossible. Since burned forests have an increased susceptibility for fire due to increased fuel loads and the more open forest structure fire prevention (perhaps through construction of fire break networks) should be a main aim of any burned forest conservation strategy.

Slik, J.W.F. (slik "at" nhn.leidenuniv.nl) and van Balen, S. (in press). Bird community changes in response to single and repeated fires in a lowland tropical rainforest of eastern Borneo. Biodiversity and Conservation.

Nature Seychelles is seeking funding for a comprehensive survey of the Seychelles Blue Pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrima (Least Concern) on Mahe and Praslin islands to determine the population and conservation status of this species as part of its birds of Seychelles conservation program and would like to invite partnerships to take this project further.

For further information contact Nirmal Shah (wildlife "at" email.sc).

Europe's worst offenders on illegal bird hunting and trapping are finally showing signs of coming into line with EU bird protection laws. Each year thousands of migrating birds are shot illegally in Malta, including an estimated 100,000 European Turtle-doves Streptopelia turtur mostly as they pass through the island on their spring migration to northern Europe from Africa. In July 2005 BirdLife International and BirdLife Malta, lodged a formal complaint with the EU Commission about the failure of the Maltese Government to adequately transpose the EU Birds Directive in relation to its bird hunting and trapping. As a result of this, the European Commission looked set to start a formal infringement procedure against Malta, however, the Maltese Government introduced a last minute change of its national laws to strengthen bird conservation on the island, bringing it more into line with the rest of the European Union. It appears as if the Maltese hunting seasons for several bird species will be shortened, so that hunting will no longer takes place during the spring migration and the breeding season. However, Malta is claiming exemptions to enable the hunting of migratory European Turtle-doves between March and May to continue. Malta argues that these birds have to be hunted then, because it is the only time they occur on the island. However, this is not the case, as the two species also pass back through Malta on their return Autumn migration. As a result, BirdLife has urged the European Commission not to approve this derogation, as the conditions of the EU Birds Directive are not met. (Birdlife 03.04.2006).