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- Why do cats hunt birds like doves?
- Are cats responsible for the extinction of some birds?
- Statistics: city cats vs country cats
- How to prevent a cat from hunting birds?
For cat lovers, it can be difficult to accept that these adorable felines are responsible for decreasing the wildlife of birds all over the world, such as doves or sparrows, but also of some endangered species.
Although this is a very common behavior in these predators, it is important to know why cats hunt birds and what real consequences are there with this behavior. In this PeritoAnimal article, you can clarify all your doubts. Keep reading:
Why do cats hunt birds like doves?
cats are natural predators and hunt primarily to feed and survive. It is the mother who teaches the sequence of hunting the kittens, a common teaching in wild cats but unusual in big cities. Yet, regardless of their childhood, cats practice their hunting skills even when they're not hungry.
For this reason, although a cat lives in a place where a guardian takes care of it, it can develop a strong hunting impulse that helps you learn about speed, power, distance and pursuit.
It is common for mothers to bring dead prey to their young and, for this reason, many sterilized cats bring dead animals to their guardians, which is due to the maternal instinct of the cat. According to the study "Domestic Cat Predation on Wildlife" by Michael Woods, Robbie A.McDoland and Stephen Harris applied to 986 cats, 69% of prey hunted were mammals and 24% were birds.
Are cats responsible for the extinction of some birds?
It is estimated that domestic cats kill about 9 birds a year, a number that may seem low if you are a single individual, but very high if you look at the total number of cats in a country.
Cats have been cataloged as an invasive species by the International Union for Conservation, as they allegedly contributed to the extinction of 33 species of birds around the world. In the list we find:
- The Chatham Bellbird (New Zealand)
- Chatham Fernbird (New Zealand)
- Chatham Rail (New Zealand)
- Caracara de Guadalupe (Island of Guadalupe)
- Thick-billed (Ogasawara Island)
- North Island Snipe (New Zealand)
- Colaptes auratus (Island of Guadeloupe)
- Platycercini (Macquarie Islands)
- Partridge Dove of Choiseul (Salomon Islands)
- Pipilo fuscus (Island of Guadeloupe)
- Porzana sandwichensis (Hawaii)
- Regulus calendula (Mexico)
- Sceloglaux albifacies (New Zealand)
- Thyromanes bewickii (New Zealand)
- Stephens Island Lark (Stephens Island)
- Turnagridae (New Zealand)
- Xenicus longipes (New Zealand)
- Zenaida graysoni (Island Relief)
- Zoothera terrestris (Isle of Bonin)
As you can see, the extinct birds all belonged to different islands where there were no cats, and on the islands the endemic habitat is much more fragile. Furthermore, all of the aforementioned birds became extinct in the 20th century, when European settlers introduced cats, rats and dogs brought from their countries of origin.
It is also important to note that most birds on this list lost their ability to fly due to the lack of predators, especially in New Zealand, so they were easier prey for cats and other animals.
Statistics: city cats vs country cats
The study "The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States" Published by the Journal of Nature Communications stated that all cats kill birds in the first years of lifea, when they are agile enough to play about them. It is also explained that 2 out of 3 birds were hunted by stray cats. According to biologist Roger Tabor, a cat in a village kills an average of 14 birds, while a cat in the city only kills 2.
The decline of predators in rural areas (such as coyotes in the United States), abandonment and great reproductive capacity of cats has caused them to be considered a pest. However, some human factors such as the deforestation favored the decrease of the autonomous bird population.
How to prevent a cat from hunting birds?
Popular belief suggests that putting a rattle on a cat can help alert potential victims, but the fact remains that, according to the Mammal Society, birds detect the feline through vision before the sound of its rattle. This is because the cats learn to walk without the sound rattle, which does not reduce the amount of prey hunted. Besides, it's not good to rattle the cat!
The only effective measure to prevent the death of native species is keep the house cat indoors and create a security barrier on the porch so you can access the outside area.It is also convenient sterilize the wild cats to prevent the population from increasing, an expensive and very complicated task that organizations around the world undertake.
