It's about time! (cause of declining bird populations)

One of the "excuses" we hear all the time from people who want to
exterminate feral cats is the claim that cats are responsible for
devastation of bird populations. The Audubon Society has contributed to
this claim.

In today's paper there is an article about workers suspending brush clearing
work near a nesting site of painted buntings until the nesting period is
over.

The interesting thing is the following quote of a portion of the article:
"Some wildlife researchers estimate a 3 percent decrease in population (of
painted buntings) each year. The Audubon Society cites the primary threats
as the loss of habitat and the capture of hundreds every year to be caged
birds."

No mention of feral cats at all. Only human-causes.

Well, maybe it's time for TNR for humans? (grin)
Annie, who thinks maybe she should look around for that little caged painted
bunting that the formerly feral Rosie must have stashed somewhere.

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...
One of the "excuses" we hear all the time from people who want to
exterminate feral cats is the claim that cats are responsible for
devastation of bird populations. The Audubon Society has contributed to
this claim.

In today's paper there is an article about workers suspending brush
clearing work near a nesting site of painted buntings until the nesting
period is over.

The interesting thing is the following quote of a portion of the article:
"Some wildlife researchers estimate a 3 percent decrease in population (of
painted buntings) each year. The Audubon Society cites the primary
threats as the loss of habitat and the capture of hundreds every year to
be caged birds."

No mention of feral cats at all. Only human-causes.

Well, maybe it's time for TNR for humans? (grin)
Annie, who thinks maybe she should look around for that little caged
painted bunting that the formerly feral Rosie must have stashed somewhere.


That's great! I wish they would come out and apologize to the feral cats.
I know ferals probably take down *some* birds, but they are not the largest
cause declining bird populations, by far.

-Kelly

"KellyH" kelly at farringtons dot net wrote in message
...
That's great! I wish they would come out and apologize to the feral cats.
I know ferals probably take down *some* birds, but they are not the
largest cause declining bird populations, by far.

-Kelly

It's nice to see in print some recognition of the consequences of human
actions. Blaming the cats for existing won't solve anything. They exist
because of irresponsible human behavior. When you acknowledge the real
source of a problem, then you can go after an effective solution.
Annie

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...
One of the "excuses" we hear all the time from people who want to
exterminate feral cats is the claim that cats are responsible for
devastation of bird populations. The Audubon Society has contributed to
this claim.

In today's paper there is an article about workers suspending brush
clearing
work near a nesting site of painted buntings until the nesting period is
over.

The interesting thing is the following quote of a portion of the article:
"Some wildlife researchers estimate a 3 percent decrease in population (of
painted buntings) each year. The Audubon Society cites the primary
threats
as the loss of habitat and the capture of hundreds every year to be caged
birds."

No mention of feral cats at all. Only human-causes.






Well, maybe it's time for TNR for humans? (grin)
Annie, who thinks maybe she should look around for that little caged
painted
bunting that the formerly feral Rosie must have stashed somewhere.

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...
One of the "excuses" we hear all the time from people who want to
exterminate feral cats is the claim that cats are responsible for
devastation of bird populations. The Audubon Society has contributed to
this claim.

In today's paper there is an article about workers suspending brush
clearing
work near a nesting site of painted buntings until the nesting period is
over.

The interesting thing is the following quote of a portion of the article:
"Some wildlife researchers estimate a 3 percent decrease in population (of
painted buntings) each year. The Audubon Society cites the primary
threats
as the loss of habitat and the capture of hundreds every year to be caged
birds."

No mention of feral cats at all. Only human-causes.

I think Temple's Wisconsin 'study' is finally beginning to be veiwed as a
fraud since his methodolgy was ****. Only an idiot would keep referring to
it as a scientific paper- especially after Temple was cornered in an
interview and had to admit his figures were'nt data but just guesses based
on extrapolations of extrapolations! 20% of the cats in his 'study' were
too young to hunt birds and 30% were too old. Birds only constituted 20%
of the diet of the remaining 50%!

'Between 2 and 200 million birds are killed by cats a year". I wish my
bookie would give me a spread like that! LOL!


Well, maybe it's time for TNR for humans? (grin)


I tell the bird fanatics if feline predation has such a devastating impact
on bird populations as the Wisconsin study implies, most species of birds
around today would have become extinct millennia ago! To really ruffle
their neurotic feathers, I tell them cats actually strengthen the bird
population by cleansing their gene pool of slow and stupid birds. After
all- birds can fly; if they get caught on the ground they can't be too
swift! LOL!


Annie, who thinks maybe she should look around for that little caged
painted
bunting that the formerly feral Rosie must have stashed somewhere.

LOL! Good for her!

Phil

"Phil P." wrote in message
...
I think Temple's Wisconsin 'study' is finally beginning to be veiwed as a
fraud since his methodolgy was ****. Only an idiot would keep referring
to
it as a scientific paper- especially after Temple was cornered in an
interview and had to admit his figures were'nt data but just guesses based
on extrapolations of extrapolations! ...
Phil

I hope so. Blaming the cats when humans are at fault does not help the cats
and does not help save the birds.
Recently I've read of a reduced population of frogs and other amphibians and
of honey bees.
There is something going terribly wrong in our environment, and until people
wake up, it will continue to get worse.
Annie

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...
One of the "excuses" we hear all the time from people who want to
exterminate feral cats is the claim that cats are responsible for
devastation of bird populations. The Audubon Society has
contributed to
this claim.

In today's paper there is an article about workers suspending brush
clearing
work near a nesting site of painted buntings until the nesting
period is
over.

The interesting thing is the following quote of a portion of the
article:
"Some wildlife researchers estimate a 3 percent decrease in
population (of
painted buntings) each year. The Audubon Society cites the primary
threats
as the loss of habitat and the capture of hundreds every year to be
caged
birds."

No mention of feral cats at all. Only human-causes.

Well, maybe it's time for TNR for humans? (grin)
Annie, who thinks maybe she should look around for that little caged
painted
bunting that the formerly feral Rosie must have stashed somewhere.

Bird declining populations are always a worry but it doesn't help
blaming cats when other causes do far more harm.
Alison

"Alison" wrote in message
...
.... Bird declining populations are always a worry but it doesn't help
blaming cats when other causes do far more harm.
Alison

That is exactly my point. Blaming cats won't help solve the homeless cat
problem, and it takes attention away from causes that could be dealt with if
people would only acknowledge the real sources of the problem.
Annie

On Sun, 12 Jun 2005 05:47:01 -0400, "Phil P."
wrote:



I tell the bird fanatics if feline predation has such a devastating impact
on bird populations as the Wisconsin study implies, most species of birds
around today would have become extinct millennia ago! To really ruffle
their neurotic feathers, I tell them cats actually strengthen the bird
population by cleansing their gene pool of slow and stupid birds. After
all- birds can fly; if they get caught on the ground they can't be too
swift! LOL!



Well I guess I will stand alone once again but the most damage cats do
is not to birds but to bird nests and their eggs, for some reason many
game birds make their nests on the ground and the eggs are easy
pickings for cats, raccoons, skunks, rodents etc.

I would think any study that produced a number or percentage would be
suspect because of the different predators that raid the nests.


Brad

LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A
WELL-PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT,
SHOUTING... " HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!"