Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Natural History Traits Associated with Detecting Mortality Within Residential Bird Communities: Can Citizen Science Provide Insights?

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cat predation of birds in residential landscapes is ephemeral, unpredictable, and spatially dispersed, and thus requires many person-hours to observe. We sought to identify whether specific behaviors, traits, or feeding ecologies of birds contribute to their probability of cat-caused mortality around residences across temperate North America. In addressing this question, we evaluated citizen science data with respect to peer-reviewed species accounts (Birds of North America, BNA). Using information on cat predation from the BNA, we found that species that glean their prey from the ground or breed in nest boxes were three times more likely to be depredated by cats, while birds that hawk were over two times less likely to become cat prey than would be predicted by random chance. Data from citizen science sources also showed that birds using nest boxes had increased susceptibility to cat predation, as did those that use feeders and that glean from foliage. We caution that observations of predation by citizen science volunteers may be biased towards detection at feeders. Future research should focus on developing volunteer survey techniques for improving estimates of bird mortality rates and sources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akaike H (1973) Information theory and an extension of the maximum likelihood principle. In: Petrov BN, Csaki F (eds) Second international symposium on information theory. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, pp 267–281

    Google Scholar 

  • American Bird Conservancy (1997) Human attitudes and behaviors regarding cats. In: Cats Indoors: the campaign for safer birds and cats. Washington, DC

  • American Bird Conservancy (2007) Domesticated cat predation on birds and other wildlife. Available from http://www.abcbirds.org/cats. Accessed 26 April 2012

  • Baker PJ, Bentleys AJ, Ansell RJ, Harris S (2005) Impact on predation by domestic cats Felis catus in an urban area. Mammal Review 35:302–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balogh AP, Ryder TB, Marra PP (2011) Population demography of Gray Catbirds in the suburban matrix: sources, sinks and domestic cats. Journal of Ornithology

  • Barratt DG (1997) Predation by house cats, Felis catus (L.), in Canberra, Australia. I. Prey composition and preference. Wildlife Research 24:263–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckerman AP, Boots M, Gaston KJ (2007) Urban bird declines and the fear of cats. Animal Conservation 10:320–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonney R, Dhondt AA (1997) FeederWatch: an example of a Student-Scientist Partnership. Chapter 3. In: KC Cohen (ed) Internet links for science education: Student-Science Partnerships. Plenum Press, New York

  • Bonney R, Cooper CB, Dickinson J, Kelling S, Phillips T, Rosenberg K, Shirk J (2009) Citizen Science: a new paradigm for increasing science knowledge and scientific literacy. BioScience 59:977–984

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brieman L, Spector P (1992) Submodel selection and evaluation in regression. The X-random case. International Statistical Review 60:291–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brossard D, Lewenstein B, Bonney R (2005) Scientific knowledge and attitude change: the impact of a citizen science project. International Journal of Science Education 27:1099–1121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckland ST, Anderson DR, Burnham KP, Laake JL (1993) Distance sampling: estimating abundance of biological populations. Chapman and Hall, London, p 446

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and inference: an information-theoretic approach. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Calver MC, Grayson J, Lilith M, Dickman CR (2011) Applying the precautionary principle to the issue of impacts by pet cats on urban wildlife. Biological Conservation 144:1895–1901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman JS, Temple SA, Craven SR (1997) Cats and wildlife: a conservation dilemma. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publications

  • Coman BJ, Brunner H (1972) Food habits of the feral house cat in Victoria. J Wildl Manag 36:848–853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper CB, Dickinson J, Phillips T, Bonney R (2007) Citizen science as a tool for conservation in residential ecosystems. Ecol Soc 12(2):11. http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol12/iss2/art11/. Accessed 26 April 2012

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper CB, Hochachka WM, Dhondt AA (2012) The opportunities and challenges of Citizen Science as a tool for ecological research. In: Dickinson JL, Bonney R (eds) Citizen science: public collaboration in environmental research. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY

  • Cresswell W, Lind J, Kaby U, Quinn JL, Jakobsson S (2003) Does an opportunistic predator preferentially attack nonvigilant prey? Anim Behav 66:643–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crooks KR, Soule ME (1999) Mesopredator release and avifaunal extinctions in a fragmented system. Nature 400:563–566

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dauphine N, Cooper RJ (2009) Impacts of free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) on birds in the United States: a review of recent research with conservation and management recommendations. Proceedings of the 4th international partners in flight conference: tundra to tropics, 205–219

  • Dickinson JL, Zuckerberg B, Bonter DN (2010) Citizen science as an ecological research tool: challenges and benefits. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 41:149–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn EH, Tessaglia DL (1994) Predation of birds at freeders in winter. Journal of Ornithology 65:8–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunning JB (1984) Body weights of 686 species of North American birds. West. Bird Banding Assoc. Monogr. No. I. Eldon Publishing, CaveCreek, AZ

  • Efron B (1983) Estimating the error rate of a prediction rule: improvement on cross-validation. Journal of the American Statistical Association 78:316–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich PR, Dobkin DS, Where D (1988) The birder’s handbook. Simon & Schuster Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans C, Abrams E, Reitsma R, Roux K, Salmonsen L, Marra P (2005) The Neighborhood Nestwatch program: participant outcomes of a Citizen-Science ecological research project. Conservation Biology 19:589–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald BM (1990) Is cat control needed to protect urban wildlife? Environmental Conservation 17:168–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald BM, Turner DC (2000) Hunting behavior of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations. In: Turner DC, Bateson P (eds) The domestic cat: the biology of its behavior. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 152–175

  • Fukunaga K, Kessell D (1971) Estimation of classification error. IEEE Transaction on Computers C-20:1521–1527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway AWE, Tudor MT, Haegen WMV (2006) The reliability of citizen science: a case study of Oregon White Oak Stand Surveys. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34:1425–1429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gering JC, Blair RB (1999) Predation on artificial bird nests along an urban gradient: predatory risk or relaxation in urban environments? Ecography 22:532–541

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins CC, Grant WE, Longnecker MT (2004) Effect of house cats, being fed in parks, on California birds and rodents. In: Shaw et al (eds) Proceedings 4th international urban wildlife symposium, pp 164–170

  • Hosmer DH, Lemeshow S (1989) Applied logistic regression. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansson C, Ekman J, von Bromssen A (1981) Winter mortality and food supply in tits Parus spp. Oikos 37:313–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis PJ (1990) Urban cats as pests and pets. Environmental Conservation 17:169–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jokima¨ ki J, Huhta E (2000) Artificial nest predation and abundance of birds along an urban gradient. Condor 102:838–847

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King WB (1985) Island birds: will the future repeat the past? In: Moors PJ (ed) Conservation of Island Birds. International Council of Bird Preservation, Cambridge, pp 3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Kress S (2006) The Audubon society guide to attracting birds: creating natural habitats for properties large and small. Cornell University Press, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Lepczyk CA, Mertig AG, Liu J (2004) Assessing landowner activities related to birds across rural-to-urban landscapes. Environmental Management 33:110–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerman SB, Warren PS (2011) The conservation value of residential yards: linking birds and people. Ecological Applications 21:1327–1339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liberg O, Sandell M, Pontier D, Natoli E (2000) Density, spatial organization and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids. In: Turner DC, Bateson P (eds) The domestic cat: the biology of its behavior. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 120–147

  • Osborn RG, Higgins KF, Usgaard RE, Dieter CD, Neiger RD (2000) Bird mortality associated with wind turbines as the Buffalo Ridge Wind Resource Area, Minnesota. Am Midl Nat 143:41–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearre S, Maass R (1998) Trends in the prey size-based trophic niches of feral and House Cats Felis catus L. Mamm Rev 28:125–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peck DR, Faulquier L, Pinet P, Jaquemet S, Le Corre M (2008) Feral cat diet and impact on sooty terns at Juan de Nova Island, Mozambique Channel. Animal Conservation 11:65–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poole A (ed) (2005) The birds of North America. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY

  • Popp JW (1988) Scanning behavior of finches in mixed-species groups. Condor 90:510–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R (2009) The R project for statistical computing. The R Foundation. University of Auckland, New Zealand

  • Rodewald AD, Kearns LJ, Shustack DP (2011) Antropogenic resource subsidies decouple predator-prey relationships. Ecol Appl 21:936–943

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig M (2003) Win-win ecology, how the earth’s species can survive in the midst of human enterprise. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryder TB, Reitsma R, Evans B, Marra PP (2010) Quantifying avian nest survival along an urbanization gradient using citizen- and scientist-generated data. Ecological Applications 20:419–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shochat E (2004) Credit or debit? Resource input changes population dynamics of city-slicker birds. Oikos 106:622–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shochat E, Lerman SB, Anderies JM, Warren PS, Faeth SH, Nilon CH (2010) Invasion, competition, and biodiversity loss in urban ecosystems. BioScience 60:199–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silvertown J (2009) A new dawn for Citizen Science. Trends Ecol Evol 24:467–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stracey C (2011) Resolving the urban nest predator paradox: the role of alternative foods for nest predators. Biological Conservation 144:1545–1552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tallamy D (2009) Bringing nature home: how you can sustain wildlife with native plants. Timber Press, Portland, OR

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson S, Bonney R (2007) Evaluating the impacts of participation in an online citizen science project: a mixed-methods approach. In: Trant J, Bearman D (eds) Museums and the web. Archives and Museum Informatics, Toronto, pp 187–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorington KK, Bowman R (2003) Predation rates on artificial nests increase with human housing density in suburban habitats. Ecography 26:188–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trumbull DJ, Bonney R, Bascom D, Cabral A (2000) Thinking scientifically during participation in a citizen-science project. Science Education 84:265–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Heezik Y, Smyth A, Adams A, Gordon J (2010) Do domestic cats impose an unsustainable harvest on urban bird populations? Biological Conservation 143:121–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waite TA (1987) Vigilance in the White-breasted Nuthatch: effects of dominance and sociality. Auk 104:429–434

    Google Scholar 

  • Woods M, McDonald RA, Harris S (2003) Predation of wildlife by domestic cats Felis catus in Great Britain. Mammal Review 33:174–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanette LY, White AF, Allen MC, Clinchy M (2011) Perceived predation risk reduces the number of offspring songbirds produce per year. Science 334:1398–1401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to all those who took part in My Yard Counts and PredatorWatch. We appreciate input from Chris Wood on the natural history Table. Staff in Bird Population Studies and Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology gave valuable input throughout the course of this research. Tessa Murante reported these findings as part of her Honors Thesis at Cornell University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

    Caren Beth Cooper & Janis Dickinson

  2. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Kerrie Anne Therese Loyd

  3. New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USA

    Tessa Murante

  4. Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Matthew Savoca

Authors
  1. Caren Beth Cooper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kerrie Anne Therese Loyd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tessa Murante
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Matthew Savoca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Janis Dickinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caren Beth Cooper.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 4

Table 4 List of species depredated by cats, as documented in BNA accounts and citizen science schemes
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cooper, C.B., Loyd, K.A.T., Murante, T. et al. Natural History Traits Associated with Detecting Mortality Within Residential Bird Communities: Can Citizen Science Provide Insights?. Environmental Management 50, 11–20 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9866-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9866-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation