Subject: Re: Cats versus birds
Date: Feb 24 21:53:45 1998
From: Don Baccus - dhogaza at pacifier.com


At 07:43 PM 2/24/98 -0800, Jerry Converse wrote:

>I am compiling information and was wondering if any one knows how many
>birds have become extinct in the Hawaiian Islands since the introduction
>of cats; or any other place for that matter.

Hawaii's also been invaded by many bird species (brought in as cage birds),
mosquitos, snakes (I think), goats (I know), etc. So a simple "how many
birds have become extinct there since cats were introduced" doesn't tell
much by itself. There may well be documentation of the effect of cats on
native bird species, but the gross measure you ask for is going to consist
of a synthesis of many signals, and teasing out the contribution of cats is
going to be difficult.

Even coffee runs amok there.

I'm not trying to argue that cats have an insignificant effect, only that the
islands have been gang-raped, and simple evidence that cats have been one of
the rapists in a long line of perps doesn't help your argument much. You'll
need much more precise information.


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <dhogaza at pacifier.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies at
http://donb.photo.net