[mou] Fwd: tracking free-ranging cats

[MARTELL, Mark]

While I have no objection to good studies that document predation rates =
or other causes of mortality on wild birds, I find this lumping of =
free-ranging cats and other predators together disturbing. A logical =
extension of this message is that the other predators, like cats, are =
"bad" and harming wild birds.  I hope ABC and others working to document =
cat predation are more cognizant of the bad old days of shooting hawks =
and owls on site because they were "bad" and take more care in how they =
present this issue to the public.

Mark Martell
Director of Bird Conservation
Audubon Minnesota
2357 Ventura Drive #106
St. Paul, MN 55125
651-739-9332
651-731-1330 (FAX)
http://mn.audubon.org

To donate to Audubon Minnesota online, visit our secure site at =
<http://mn.audubon.org/support_ways.html>




-----Original Message-----
From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu]On
Behalf Of Jim Williams
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 2:34 PM
To: MOU net
Subject: [mou] Fwd: tracking free-ranging cats


Begin forwarded message:

From: "William Mueller" <iltlawas@earthlink.net>
Date: December 15, 2006 12:42:41 PM CST
To: "Wisconsin Birding Network" <wisbirdn@lawrence.edu>
Subject: [wisb] American Bird Conservancy initiates new online project =20
tracking free-ranging cats and other predators

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative's Issues =20
Committee
has attempted to track numbers of cats found on Christmas Bird Counts =20
for
the past few years. Here's yet another such effort, now nationwide:

************************************************************************ =

***

For Immediate Release: December 15, 2006

"Contact: Steve Holmer, 202/234-7181 ext. 216, 202/744-6459 cell,
sholmer@abcbirds.org, www.abcbirds.org

Online Survey Tracks Predators Impact on Wild Birds

(Washington, DC) -- American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is today launching
"Project PredatorWatch," a new citizen-science project to investigate =20
the
impact of free-ranging cats and other predators on wild birds in the =20
U.S.
and Canada.  The PredatorWatch survey can be found at =20
www.abcbirds.org/cats


"Any citizen can participate in Project PredatorWatch and provide =20
valuable
information needed to conserve birds and other wildlife by clicking a =20
few
buttons on their computer," said George Fenwick, President of American =20
Bird
Conservancy.

Participants will provide important information to scientists and
conservationists such as:  1) helping to identify birds and other =20
wildlife
species that are most likely affected by interactions with cats and =20
other
predators; 2) determining whether predator/wildlife interactions are
affected by season or climate; 3) and determining whether certain =20
wildlife
species, age or sex classes are more vulnerable to interactions with
predators.

"Scientists estimate that free-roaming cats and other predators kill
hundreds of millions of birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians =20
each
year," said Fenwick.  "Cat predation is an added stress to wildlife
populations already struggling to survive habitat loss, pollution,
pesticides, and other human impacts."

Anyone who observes a predator/wildlife interaction in their yard can
simply complete a brief on-line survey accessible through ABC's Cats
Indoors! website at www.abcbirds.org/cats (on the top left side under =20
Quick
Links).  Results of this project may be reported in the media and ABC
newsletter articles, and may help further identify future wildlife
conservation projects.

In 1997, ABC launched the Cats Indoors! Campaign for Safer Birds and =20
Cats
to educate cat owners, decision makers, and the general public that =20
cats,
wildlife and people all benefit when cats are kept indoors, in an =20
outdoor
enclosure, or trained to go outside on a harness and leash. ABC has
available education materials, including fact sheets, a guide What to do
About Your Neighbor's Cats in Your Yard, the popular brochure Keeping =20
Cats
Indoors Isn't Just For The Birds, an Educator's Guide for Grades K-6, =20
and
print and radio Public Service Announcements."


************************************************************************ =

*
forward by Jim Williams
Wayzata
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