AutumnEffect wrote:
adrilahan wrote:
No, I'm not at all pleased when a cat leaves me a dead bird, but it's not the end of the species (unless it is... in which case you can be absolutely certain my ferals would be brought inside and domesticated as soon as feasible!)

Actually, I have heard that certain songbirds are not doing well at all (number wise) because of outdoor cats. I forget which birds though..

Assuming you're in the UK, the ones that come to mind are the Blackbird (never a shortage in my mother's backyard, averaging five breeding pairs a year since the late 1980s/early 1990s, despite a captive 'foster' owl introduced in 2007), and the Song Thrush (only recently did they stop showing up in my mother's backyard). The only native species of Wren has been in decline for some time (but we had a whole nest fledge successfully in their first year nesting in my mother's backyard, so there may be hope in isolated pockets). Of further concern right now for the UK is the Cuckoo (but not entirely because of conditions in the UK, mostly to do with their wintering grounds). Aside from songbirds, the Eagle Owl (yes, it is actually native! We just haven't had them in a hundred years or so) is in dire straights, though this may fix itself in time due to recent migration of breeding pairs. Also among raptors, the Barn Owl has been doing poorly since the Middle Ages, and the Tawny Owl has been declining for decades.

Meanwhile, several varieties of pigeon are thriving, as are the Starlings, and the Golden Eagle is experiencing a resurgence in Scotland. Kites are finally away from the brink of extinction, but still need a little conservational help. Lots going on for all birds in the UK right now, but I can't help wondering if some of the species experiencing difficulties had been under strain long before good numbers were kept. I suspect predation statistics may be greatly exaggerated by those with an agenda to push, and it does not help matters that such blatant favoritism was shown toward pigeons. The Pigeon Fancier's Association has had a hugely detrimental effect on native birds of prey, for example. I do not find it hard to believe that the RSPB is likewise pushing an agenda.

Just my two cents as an amateur ornithologist

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