Food Habits of the Feral House Cat in Victoria

Coman, B. J.; Brunner, Hans

doi:10.2307/3799439

Cited by 110 publications

(40 citation statements)

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“…This suite of characteristics combined with a cat's opportunistic hunting behavior (Coman and Brunner 1972) and unnaturally high density in urban environments creates a scenario in which cat-catch can exceed local recruitment and dramatically impact the population persistence (van Heezik et al 2010). This scenario, however, assumes that the effects of cat predation on juvenile recruitment are additive in nature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population demography of Gray Catbirds in the suburban matrix: sources, sinks and domestic cats

2011

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Understanding factors that limit the productivity and survival of birds in rapidly changing human-dominated landscapes are key to managing future population persistence. To date, few studies have quantified both nest success and post-fledging survival for birds breeding within the suburban matrix. Here, we estimated nest success and juvenile post-fledging survival for Gray Catbirds (Dumatella carolinensis) and used those site-specific parameters to model source-sink dynamics at three sites in suburban Washington DC (USA). Cumulative nest success probability varied substantially among suburban sites and indicated that in some cases suburban habitats may provide suitable breeding sites for passerine birds. In addition, we documented the effects of sex and brood size on postfledging survival rates and determined the role of predation on dispersing fledglings. Like nest success, estimates of post-fledging juvenile survival also varied among sites and highlight the importance of site-specific demographic estimates in urban habitats. Predation accounted for 79% of all mortalities, with 47% of known predation events attributable to domestic cats (Felis catus). Our models of source-sink dynamics underscore the importance of seasonal recruitment parameters for calculating population growth rate and subsequent persistence. This study provides parameter estimates for two critical life history stages in the avian annual cycle in the suburban matrix and posits that predation drives differential nest and postfledging survival within human-dominated environments.Keywords Cats Á Nest survival Á Post-fledging survival Á Urbanization Á Source-sink dynamics

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population demography of Gray Catbirds in the suburban matrix: sources, sinks and domestic cats

2011

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“…For example, in Victoria, Australia, rabbits were the main food (Coman & Brunner 1972;Mahood 1980;Jones & Coman 1981 (Corbett 1979;Liberg 1984) rabbits were again the main prey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The diet of feral cats (Felis catusL.) on Hawke’s Bay farmland, New Zealand

Langham¹

1990

New Zealand Journal of Zoology

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Food remains were analysed in 361 cat faeces (scats) collected from September 1983 to May 1987 on farmland in southern Hawke's Bay. Mammals were the most important food items in scats, both by occurrence (76%) and by weight (74%). House mice were the most frequently (50%) encountered remains, and comprised only 12% of the total prey identified by weight; rats were less frequently found (20%) but the most important item by weight (39%). Other mammals found were scavenged possums (13% by weight), sheep (7%), and lagomorphs (3%). Birds, consisting mainly of introduced species, including turkeys, were both frequent (24%) and important by weight (24%). Invertebrate remains consisted mainly of cicada nymphs (Homoptera) (10% by frequency), grass grubs (Coleoptera) (8%), and black field crickets (Orthoptera) (7%) contributed less than 2% by weight. Cicada nymphs were recorded only in willow/ swamp habitat. No significant differences were found between vertebrate prey recorded in scats from willows and swamps and vertebrate prey from bams and pasture. There were no consistent local or seasonal changes in frequency of occurrence of rats, but mice were found more frequently in scats collected in winter. Possum remains were found mainly in winter. Birds were the main items in scats collected in the spring and summer months. Eggs of Toxocari cati (64%) were the only identifiable internal parasite frequently found in the scats. 289041

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“…House cats are opportunistic predators that eat a wide variety of prey, often relying on whatever prey are most abundant (Coman andBrunner 1972, Fitzgerald 1988). However, not all birds are equally available to cats.…”

Section: Identification Of Vulnerable Bird Species In Canadamentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimated Number of Birds Killed by House Cats (Felis catus) in Canada

Blancher¹

2013

ACE

114

103

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ABSTRACT. Predation by house cats (Felis catus) is one of the largest human-related sources of mortality for wild birds in the United States and elsewhere, and has been implicated in extinctions and population declines of several species. However, relatively little is known about this topic in Canada. The objectives of this study were to provide plausible estimates for the number of birds killed by house cats in Canada, identify information that would help improve those estimates, and identify species potentially vulnerable to population impacts. In total, cats are estimated to kill between 100 and 350 million birds per year in Canada (> 95% of estimates were in this range), with the majority likely to be killed by feral cats. This range of estimates is based on surveys indicating that Canadians own about 8.5 million pet cats, a rough approximation of 1.4 to 4.2 million feral cats, and literature values of predation rates from studies conducted elsewhere. Reliability of the total kill estimate would be improved most by better knowledge of feral cat numbers and diet in Canada, though any data on birds killed by cats in Canada would be helpful. These estimates suggest that 2-7% of birds in southern Canada are killed by cats per year. Even at the low end, predation by house cats is probably the largest human-related source of bird mortality in Canada. Many species of birds are potentially vulnerable to at least local population impacts in southern Canada, by virtue of nesting or feeding on or near ground level, and habitat choices that bring them into contact with human-dominated landscapes where cats are abundant. Because cat predation is likely to remain a primary source of bird mortality in Canada for some time, this issue needs more scientific attention in Canada.RÉSUMÉ. La prédation par les chats domestiques (Felis catus) est une des causes de mortalité liées aux humains les plus importantes chez les oiseaux sauvages aux États-Unis et ailleurs; elle a également été mise en cause dans l'extinction et le déclin de populations de plusieurs espèces. Toutefois, la situation au Canada est plutôt méconnue. Cette étude visait à obtenir des estimations plausibles du nombre d'oiseaux tués par les chats domestiques au Canada, à déterminer les informations additionnelles pouvant contribuer à améliorer ces estimations et enfin, à identifier les espèces dont les populations pourraient être touchées. Dans l'ensemble, nous avons estimé que les chats tuaient entre 100 et 350 millions d'oiseaux par année au Canada (> 95 % des estimations se trouvaient dans cette plage), les chats sauvages tuant vraisemblablement la majorité de ces oiseaux. Cette plage d'estimations est fondée sur des relevés indiquant que les Canadiens possèdent 8,5 millions de chats domestiques environ, une approximation grossière du nombre de chats sauvages se situant entre 1,4 et 4,2 millions et des taux de prédation tirés d'autres recherches menées ailleurs qu'au Canada. Une meilleure connaissance du nombre de chats sauvages et de leur régime alimentaire au...

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Food Habits of the Feral House Cat in Victoria

Cited by 110 publications

References 1 publication

Population demography of Gray Catbirds in the suburban matrix: sources, sinks and domestic cats

Population demography of Gray Catbirds in the suburban matrix: sources, sinks and domestic cats

The diet of feral cats (Felis catusL.) on Hawke’s Bay farmland, New Zealand

Estimated Number of Birds Killed by House Cats (Felis catus) in Canada

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