Cats are popular pets around the world, with over 600 million domestic cats living with humans. As natural hunters, cats have strong predatory instincts and often hunt small prey like birds and rodents. This has raised concerns that cats may be contributing to declines in songbird populations and even driving some species to extinction.
Do outdoor cats hunt birds?
Yes, there is clear evidence that outdoor and feral cats regularly hunt and kill birds. Cats are hypercarnivores and even well-fed cats will instinctively hunt. Studies using cat-mounted cameras and tracking collars have filmed domestic cats capturing 201 species of birds in the UK alone. Other research in the US found the average outdoor cat brings home between 1-14 prey items per week. Around 69% of these prey items were small mammals, while 24% were birds. The total bird death toll from cats in the US is estimated at 1.3–4 billion birds killed per year.
Cats observed | Total prey captured | Birds | Mammals |
---|---|---|---|
55 | 1158 | 273 | 801 |
Table showing breakdown of prey caught by sample of 55 outdoor cats in a UK study.
Which birds are targeted by cats?
Cats tend to prey on small, ground dwelling birds that nest or forage on the ground. The most common bird prey includes:
- Sparrows
- Wrens
- Robins
- Thrushes
- Pigeons
- Doves
Larger birds like ducks, hawks, and crows are rarely caught by domestic cats. However, kittens and feral cats can sometimes take larger prey.
Are particular regions and habitats more affected?
Islands that have no native cat species are the ecosystems most vulnerable to cat predation. Islands provide home to 60% of all endangered bird species. Cats were introduced to many remote islands during colonization and exploration. Being top predators on these islands, cats have had severe impacts on breeding seabirds and endemic island birds unadapted to mammalian predators.
Mainland suburban habitats near large populations of outdoor cats also suffer higher rates of cat predation on birds. Bird species diversity and abundance drops near housing developments where pet cats roam.
Notable examples of cat impact on island birds
- Stephens Island Wren – extinct by 1895 within years of cats being introduced to island.
- Hawaiian Petrels – cats primary cause of decline, 100,000s killed per year.
- Lord Howe island – at least 5 endemic bird species extinct due to cats and rats.
Do cats impact threatened and endangered birds?
There are some documented cases of cats preying on vulnerable and endangered bird species. Examples include:
- Florida Scrub-Jay – catalogued as endangered due to habitat loss. Cats in suburban areas also prey on juveniles.
- Piping Plover – cats found to prey on this threatened coastal bird.
- Lesser Kestrel – cats kill fledglings of this vulnerable European falcon.
Most cat predation involves common birds, but any additional pressure on declining species populations is a concern.
Could cat predation drive extinctions?
There are very few if any confirmed cases of cat predation alone causing the complete global extinction of a bird species in the wild. Most extinct island birds were likely also impacted by habitat destruction and invasive rodents etc.
However, there are confirmed cases where cats have driven island specific bird populations to extinction. With fragmented and declining bird populations, cat predation can hasten declines and extirpation. Careful management of pet cats is required to prevent local extinctions.
Factors that magnify cat threat
- Remote island locations
- Naive birds with no coevolution with cats
- Feral and stray cat populations near vulnerable bird habitats
Do bell collars on cats reduce bird predation?
Several studies have tested if fitting domestic cats with bell collars can reduce their hunting success rate. The results show mixed effectiveness:
- One study found bells reduced capture success by 50%.
- Other studies found no significant reduction in cat predation with bells.
- Bells are less effective if prey is on the ground not in trees.
- Kittens with bells can still learn to hunt successfully.
Overall, bells provide no guarantee of stopping cat predation. However they remain a cheap and simple way cat owners can potentially reduce impacts.
What can cat owners do to protect birds?
Responsible cat ownership is vital to reducing predatory impacts on birds. Here are some tips for cat owners:
- Keep cats indoors – ensures no bird predation.
- Leash train cats for outdoor walks to prevent roaming.
- Install bird feeders to provide alternative diversion for cats.
- Fit cats with a bell collar and frequently change it.
- Desex cats to avoid unwanted litters of feral kittens.
- Support trap-neuter-return programs for strays/ferals.
Conclusion
The available evidence clearly shows cats are significant predators of birds worldwide. Exact extinction risk is hard to quantify, but cat predation likely compounds other threats like habitat loss. Responsible pet ownership and management of feral cats is critical to minimizing predatory impacts on declining and endangered bird populations. With conscientious cat and wildlife management, birds and cats can compatibly coexist in shared environments.