Cats kill at huge rate

MORE than one million native Australian birds are killed across the country by cats every day, new research shows.

The study, published in the journal Biological Conversation, estimates feral cats kill 316 million birds a year, while pet cats kill 61 million annually.

More than 99 per cent are native birds.

“This study shows that, at a national level, the amount of predation is staggering, and is likely to be driving the ongoing decline of many species,” lead researcher Professor John Woinarski said.