Is Your Kitty Cat a Destructive Killer?

Tag: Invasive species

Is Your Kitty Cat a Destructive Killer?

February 22, 2013 | by: Matt Miller | 4

Does the loss of bird populations begin with a meow?

When most conservationists think about the biggest human-caused threats to native birds, they list things like oil spills, habitat destruction, invasive species, climate change, collisions with windows, pesticides and wind turbines.

But those threats, serious as they are, pale in comparison to what may be the number one killer of wild birds: Cats.

That’s right. Your beloved Tabby could be a wildlife destroying machine, a genuine conservation threat.

That’s what researchers suggest in a recent paper published in the journal Nature Communications. They found that free-ranging cats killed between 1.4–3.7 billion birds and 6.9–20.7 billion mammals annually.

That research has been widely publicized by birders, and widely ignored by everyone else. Especially cat lovers.

Researchers Scott R. Loss and Peter Marra of the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center and Tom Will of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Birds suggest that feral cats (those not owned by someone) kill the majority of birds. But still, a simple way to save the local fauna is to keep your Siamese or Manx indoors, or on a leash.

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A Rat-Free Palmyra Atoll

February 5, 2013 | by: Matt Miller | 0

Located 1,000 miles south of Hawai’i, Palmyra Atoll is one of the most spectacular marine wilderness areas on Earth. The area includes 25 islets covering 580 acres of land, and 15,000 acres of some of the most diverse and spectacular coral reef systems in the world.

Palmyra Atoll is co-managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy. These two partners plus Island Conservation are working together on the Palmyra Atoll Restoration Project, which aims to protect ten nesting seabird species, migratory shorebirds, the rare coconut crab and one of the largest remaining native Pisonia forests in the Pacific Islands.

The first step in this restoration was a big one: removing non-native rats. That project recently completed and appears to be successful.

Alex Wegmann, program director for Island Conservation, recently shared his thoughts on the effort to restore a rat-free island.

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What is Cool Green Science?

Most projections say at least 9 billion people will be alive on Earth come 2050 -- putting tremendous pressures on the natural systems that we all rely on for survival and prosperity.

Cool Green Science is where Nature Conservancy scientists and science writers discuss and debate how conservation can help meet those challenges head on -- in partnership with you, of course. You'll also find photos, videos and dispatches from our fieldwork, book reviews, raves and groans about new research, natural history accounts, citizen science opps, and much much more -- including stuff about critters that are just cool.

Cool Green Science is managed by Matt Miller, senior science writer for the Conservancy, and edited by Bob Lalasz, its director of science communications. Email us your feedback.

Editors’ Choice

Danya Gross: Science Illustration: More Than Pretty Pictures
Great illustrations often communicate conservation science when photos, text and CAD sketches fail -- and they can make all the difference in winning community support for a restoration project.

Tim Boucher: The Best Apps for Novice and Serious Birders
Tim reviews offerings from Audubon, iBird, Nat Geo, Peterson and Sibley and tells you which works best in the field.

Criag Groves: Genetic Engineers and Conservation Biologists: Scenes from a First Date
Synthetic biology is way more than "de-extinction" -- and its findings and their consequences could be profound for conservation practice.

Matt Miller: Big Fish: Return of the Alligator gar
Alligator gars were persecuted and eliminated for crimes they didn't commit. A new conservation effort is bringing them back.

Spotlight: Marine Restoration Science

The Future of Coral Reef Restoration Science
Conservancy coral scientist James Byrne says it's discovering how to plant corals in a way that optimizes genetic diversity--but without crossing a very thin line.

The Future of Sea Grass and Shellfish Restoration
Conservancy Marine Steward Bo Lusk argues that letting barrier island breaches remain open is the best thing for bay and sound ecosystems and the shellfish and fish they support.

Restoring Blue Forests--Opportunities for Mangroves
Mangroves grow like weeds -- which makes restoring them easy...unless you put them in the wrong places, says Nature Conservancy senior marine scientist Mark Spalding.

Tales from the Cab -- Risk & Restoration in SE Louisiana
Conservancy Marine Lead Scientist Mike Beck finds passionate support for coastal marsh restoration from a New Orleans cab driver who's lived through Hurricanes Katrina and Isaac.

RT @keithkloor: Good respectful discussion btw @Revkin & @drgrist on different climate change perspectives http://t.co/S6C5K4gmrb

Tag: Invasive species