By Deborah Taylor-French
Hungry Songbirds
This morning I looked out at our bird feeder. The songbirds have been eating huge amounts this winter and early spring, so the feeder has a half – dozen birds perching and waiting hidden nearby in the Fuji apple tree. On California’s west coast, birds nest earlier each year.
A Big Problem
Not a bird insight
On top of our weathered side fence, a hunter lurked in the form of a neighbor’s black and white cat. I opened the window and shouted. The hunter hunkered down, not wanting to leave. Big problem, not a bird insight. I clapped and kept making noise until he left. He looked much like the cat below.
Well-fed Predators Kill Billions of Birds
“Free-Roaming Cats: A Conservation Crisis: Domestic cats are recognized as a threat to global biodiversity. Cats have contributed to the extinction of 33 species across the world and continue to adversely impact a wide variety of species, including those that are threatened or endangered. The ecological dangers are so critical that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now lists domestic cats as one of the world’s worst non-native invasive species.
In the U.S., free-roaming domestic cats kill an estimated 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals. The sheer quantity of cat-caused mortality is staggering. For perspective, consider that 1.4 billion is equivalent to the entire human population of China, the most populous country in the world. As the number of cats continues to grow and owners continue to allow their pets to roam, harmful impacts will surely increase.” American Bird Conservancy
Each morning I wake feeling gratitude for all the love and kindness in my life. I want the next generation of children and their children to hear songbirds in spring.
This blog expresses and works to protect animals, wild or tame. I belong to a spiritual community that teaches and spreads the wonderful philosophy of Ernest Holmes. Daily, we unify our minds with the One Life, All Giving, All Good. No matter what your faith or religious affiliation, the message of love or charity shines to all.
Please visit these sites and share this post.
Thanks a bunch because…
together, we can save songbirds.
American Bird Conservancy Blog Conserving Native Birds and Their Habitats Throughout the Americas
Cats Indoors: Better for Cats. Better for Birds. Better for People.
Songbird Care and Education Center
Click each day on The Animal Rescue Site. It’s free, and each click gives one bowl of food to a hungry shelter animal.
Domestic cats are the #1 killer of songbirds in Canada, too. Just one of the many reasons our kitties stay indoors.
Thanks for your comment. I love that you keep your kitties inside. While researching this topic, I discovered several Canadian NGO agencies working on the worldwide problem of bird mass extinctions.
Facts point to well-fed domestic cats, even for predatory species like owls, hawks and eagles. Cats kill rodents and small mammals that these magnificent winged-hunters need to survive. As we know domestic cats do not have to eat what they kill.
Reblogged this on Sepisoul, Quotes By Reiki Master Sepi and commented:
Another good reason to keep your cats indoors.
I’m THRILLED that you posted on this issue! I have 2 feeders and luckily our dog and his pee seem to deter the neighborhood cats. I simply can’t understand why cats are allowed to roam. It’s not safe for them either. I already follow ABC on Facebook and belong to Audubon Society. I shared your post on Facebook.
Hi Terra, thanks so much for your comment.
Yes, I don’t understand cat owners, both my mother and I have had the heart-wrenching pain of running over roaming cats.
Thanks so much from sharing this post on Facebook.
Please find me on Google+. I believe the future of an open Internet gathering spot and marketplace is growing. I’ll see if I can find you there, & in the meanwhile on the “Faceburger” thing (as my friend Harry dubbed it).
Thanks so much for reblogging and your comment.
Welcome! Thanks for sharing this article with the world!
Keep sharing the wonder, wider and wider.
Animals make us human as Temple Grandin said in her book of the same title.
Temple Grandin is amazing. Animals are spiritual angels here to heal all of us.
I love your passion and dedication for the preservation of our beloved songbirds! I, too, can’t imagine the world without them. I’m afraid I come from the “other side” of the discussion on this topic, though – personally, I don’t believe cats are the biggest threat to birds.
Having worked TNR with feral cats, I’ve had the opportunity to watch them in their element. Granted, they’d love to catch one. There are just too many predators of birds, I believe there’s plenty of blame to spread around (including and perhaps especially, humans poisoning their environment or wiping out their habitat).
That said, pet cats should not be roaming outdoors – for everyone’s sake. And regardless of what we believe to be the causes, everyone should be concerned about preserving our beautiful birds. There is much we can do to keep them a priority, and your spreading the message is a great way. You’ve provided some fantastic links to informative resources here, too.
Thank you for blogging the change for animals,
KimT
http://www.btc4animals.com
Kim, thanks for your thoughtful comment. Would you be willing to join me in a Google Plus hangout to discuss sources and brainstorming on how to save more songbirds?
My research turned up four sources. I read that predatory birds numbers continue to decline, due to less field mice and small food sources, which outdoor cats hunt. My neighbors’ cats stalk birds, lurk near birdbath and feeders. In our area cat lovers have more than one cat, many feed up to three cats.
I agree that the loss of habituate and use of pesticides kill billions of all species of birds.