Sheril KirshenbaumJul 23, 2023

In the U.S., recent annual estimates of bird deaths due to:

Cats = 2.4 billion bird deaths

Collisions from building glass = 600 million bird deaths

Land wind turbines = <200,000 bird deaths

Some politicians claim wind turbines “kill all the birds.”

But… they’re not really worried about birds. Rather, they prefer we stick with oil & gas over renewable #energy.

https://www.statista.com/chart/amp/15195/wind-turbines-are-not-killing-fields-for-birds/ #climatechange

Infographic: What Is Killing U.S. Birds?

This chart shows the estimated range of annual human-caused bird deaths in the U.S., by source.

Statista Daily Data
Show threadGeriAQuinJul 23, 2023
@Sheril wind turbines aren’t … agreed! But your assessment on # of cats killing birds is exteremly over blown.
Show threadSheril KirshenbaumJul 23, 2023
@GeriAQuin it’s not my assessment, it’s US Fish & Wildlife data (see link)
Show threadMarcJul 23, 2023
@Sheril @GeriAQuin Thank you for providing the link to this dubious USFWS report. They admit the flaws in their report:
"Many additional human-caused threats to birds, both direct (causing immediate injury/death) and indirect (causing delayed negative effects to health or productivity) are not on this list because the extent of their impact is either not currently well researched or easily quantified. For instance, habitat loss is thought to pose by far the greatest threat to birds, both directly and indirectly, however, its overall impact on bird populations is very difficult to directly assess."
Show threadGeriAQuinJul 23, 2023
@prairiedog @Sheril Yes habitat loss is major. Feral cats hunt for survival and usually prefer rodents. Domestic cats (which I’ve had my whole life) don’t go for birds that often … mostly mice.
Show threadKevin LeecasterJul 23, 2023

@GeriAQuin @prairiedog @Sheril
If you don't believe that 2013 study results because they don't match your preconceived notions than here's what a more recent study found according to North Carolina State University zoologist Roland Kays:

"Domestic cats that live or go outside kill lots of wild animals. Recent studies find that outdoor cats in North America take out between 10 and 30 billion birds and mammals each year."

Cat science denialism seems similar to climate science denialism.

Show threadLee FifeJul 24, 2023
@GreenFire @GeriAQuin @prairiedog @Sheril I love cats and have lived with them my entire life.
If you're going to support a domesticated cat in your house, you should keep it in the house.
People always react negatively when i suggest that cats found outside should be removed, one way or another.
But, bottom line, we need to keep our cats inside.
Show threadKevin Leecaster
@colo_lee @GeriAQuin @prairiedog @Sheril
I entirely find that people's determination to defend domestic cats is almost exactly like the opposition to accept climate science that I've run into over the decades. C'est la vie or not.
Jul 24, 2023 at 1:18pmWeb