American Bird Conservancy, Wildlife Society oppose feral cat colonies

Two of the United State’s top wildlife conservation organizations, American Bird Conservancy and The Wildlife Society, recently published reports and statements that say feral cat colonies are endangering wildlife species and should be eliminated.
“Exact numbers are unknown, but scientists estimate that nationwide, domestic cats kill hundreds of millions of birds and more than a billion small mammals each year,” said Laurel Barnhill, bird conservation coordinator and wildlife biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “But cats are not ultimately responsible for killing native wildlife—pet owners are. The only way to prevent domestic cat predation on wildlife is for pet owners to keep their cats indoors.”
The American Bird Conservancy published a new report: “Impacts of Feral and Free-ranging Cats on Bird Species of Conservation Concern: A Five-State Review of New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, and Hawaii,” which, for the first time, analyzes the effects that cats are having on some of America’s most at-risk bird species at cat predation hotspots. The five-state review illuminates troubling threats to endangered species such as the Florida scrub-jay, piping plover, and Hawaiian petrel, and other key birds such as the painted bunting, least tern and black rail. The report was made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
To view or download the American Bird Conservancy’s report on feral and free-ranging cats and their effects on bird species of concern, visit the Web site: www.abcbirds.org/cats/NFWF.pdf. (The file listed on this page is in the Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. Adobe® Reader® is required to open the files and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site. Most file sizes are less than 1M unless noted.)
Meanwhile, The Wildlife Society, the professional association of wildlife biologists, recently reaffirmed its position advocating the humane elimination of feral cat colonies because of their threat to wildlife.
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