North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[road's end farm <organic101@linkny.com>]

Actually, there's nothing there that really addresses my question.

Let me rephrase it: for example: the population of this area, say 500 years ago, included bobcat, puma, fox, wolf, several species of the weasel family, hawks, owls, eagles, and probably some predators I've left out.

Some of these species are gone entirely; others are greatly diminished in numbers. Coyote have moved into the area, filling some of the predator space, but presumably not all of it.

What was the likely bird mortality rate from predation then, compared to now? (Specifically from predation: leaving out of the modern data habitat loss, automobiles, pesticides, etc; and preferably from a comparison in a similar area, currently a rural area.)

I agree that in certain specific situations the presence of cats may be a disaster for certain bird populations. I don't think this necessarily means that the presence of cats is always, in all areas, a disaster for bird populations.

If it's any comfort to you, my cats are all spayed/neutered and inoculated; and the barn swallows raise and successfully fledge two clutches in my barn every year, despite the frequent presence of the cats in the barn itself. 

On Feb 14, 2007, at 5:09 PM, Jackie Jameson wrote:

> Here's a good start:
>
> http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/
>
> When on that page, click on the hyperlink in the first paragraph ( Domestic cat predation on birds and other wildlife) and it will open a four page pdf which discusses these  questions.
--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly