The movements of a population of feral cats (Felis catus) were monitored on New Zealand farmland over three years by means of radiotelemetry. The number of resident males on the 5.2-km2 study area varied from 5 to 9, averaging 1.34 per km2, compared with 10-13 females, averaging 2.19 per km2. The average density over three years was 3.47 cats per km2. The nocturnal home range was significantly larger than the diurnal home range in both sexes. Adult female's home ranges overlapped considerably; adult males tended to occupy exclusive home ranges or territories with little overlap, but including those of several females. Adult males and females that used barns as den sites were mainly nocturnal and had larger home ranges than females denning in vegetation. Females showed no consistent change in home-range size with season, although those breeding in barns had larger home ranges in summer. Adult males had larger territories in summer and winter. Dispersing subadult males had a similar home range to adult males. Death or disappearance of a dominant male allcwed new males to occupy the vacated territory. Two subadults were tracked by day until they became adult and acquired territories within the study area.

We recorded the responses of free-ranging house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to various concentrations of primary repellents and a secondary repellent. Wheat treated with either lime or neem oil was consumed by sparrows at the same rate over 24 hours as plain wheat at all doses. dpulegone significantly reduced wheat consumption from day 1 onwards throughout the 4 days. Avex TM (containing the secondary repellent anthraquinone) did not significantly reduce wheat consumption on day 1 of exposure, but sparrows ate progressively less repellent wheat over the following days. For both d-pulegone and Avex TM , there was a negative relationship between wheat consumption and repellent concentration. In experiment 2, the highest concentrations of Avex TM ' d-pulegone combined reduced daily wheat consumption significantly more than Avex TM alone and the effect lasted throughout the 10-day test. These results demonstrate the potential of primary and secondary repellents, presented alone or in combination, for modifying the feeding behaviour of sparrows.

These data demonstrate the potential of combining the secondary repellent AQ with additional salient cues for modifying the feeding behaviour of sparrows.

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