Garden birding
Back in the summer, Bo Beolens inspired a huge reaction when his column focused on the impact of domestic cats on bird populations. Here are some of the many responses we received speaking up for cats…
We want to hear how you’ve invited birds into your gardens!
In defence of cats
It often puzzles me as to why fellow birders, upon witnessing the plucking of a fish from water by a Kingfisher, rejoice in this natural spectacle, yet remonstrate when a cat plucks a bird from the air. The RSPB state, “there is no clear scientific evidence that such mortality is causing bird populations to decline” ( rspb. org.uk - Gardens - an important habitat), when looking at numbers of garden birds predated by cats.
But, some people simply dislike cats, their right to roam, the mess they make, and their natural interest in birds. Birders often quote dubious scientific evidence, citing a small study by a hitherto unknown source, to justify their cat prejudice, perpetuating the myth that cat owners are irresponsible.
Responsible cat owners understand their cat’s need to roam, and that cats are intelligent, sentient beings who can suffer stress, anxiety and depression, if they are unable to exercise their natural instincts. This is why cats have the right to roam, and why vets and animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, encourage outdoor access for cats.
Cats are owned by 25% of the UK adult population, and many of those owners are also RSPB members. Often, it is the independent nature of this semi-wild animal, which chooses to come home to its owner, which draws owners to them.
I get annoyed by irresponsible individuals who position bird feeders in such a way that lure cats into their gardens, making it easier for cats to kill birds, then complain about cat nuisance. Feeders are a magnet for rats, and get covered in disease ridden guano, causing health issues and nuisance to neighbours. Cats do not predate as many birds as was previously thought, and it is human activity having the most devastating effect on bird populations, for which there is plenty of accurate scientific evidence.
Perhaps cat owners could be encouraged to secure their gardens, where possible, keeping their cats within the confines of their own property. Meanwhile, if you don’t like cats in your garden, then don’t encourage them further with messy bird feeders.
Sharon Painter
Blame us, not cats
It is an undeniable fact that cats do kill birds. Anyone who owns a cat will have been met with the sadness of finding one of our beloved little neighbours dead on their kitchen floor in the morning, and many of us will be aware of the story of Tiddles the lighthouse keeper’s cat who singlehandedly hunted the Stephens Island Wren to extinction.
Should cats be blamed for acting on natural instinct, should they be banned from outdoor life, should they be demonised? No. A quick online search on the impact of cats to the UK’s wild bird population will bring you to the RSPB’s website. They state that there is no scientific evidence that suggests that mortality rates due to cats is causing birds to decline. This is further reinforced by the fact that the number of cats in the UK has decreased by c.1m animals since 2011 (PDSA Paw Report) but the number of wild birds has also declined during that time (DEFRA Wild Bird Populations in the UK, 1970 – 2018). In fact, the single largest cause of bird decline is due to habitat loss and agricultural policies, but the way we manage our garden, what we buy, and how we engage with our natural world all have impacts.
If you buy produce that has been grown using insecticides and chemical fertilisers, if you litter or don’t recycle your plastic waste (and why do you still have so much plastic waste?), if you deadhead your garden plants as soon as they go over, then you are causing wider damage to your local ecosystem, and the birds that are so intrinsically linked to that ecosystem, more than any cat could ever do.
Rather than blaming cats’ behaviour for the loss of our bird species, we need to take a very serious look at our own behaviour.
We cannot exist in a state of moral flexibility where the actions of animals are vilified yet our own actions are justified through increases in efficiency, convenience, or a lack of education.
Daniel Grimwood-Bird
Is this a hybrid? Q
This odd Pintail was at Keyhaven, Hampshire. It is obviously either a hybrid or a one-off colour variant Pintail. Any ideas?
Chris Robinson
A
Firstly, from its colourful plumage, we can comfortably assume this handsome and unusual bird is a drake. Secondly, it is surely a hybrid of two of the dabbling duck species. Thirdly, judging partly by colour, and partly by the very long tail, one of the parents appears to have been a Pintail. The other (assuming it is a first generation hybrid) seems to be most likely a Wigeon or American Wigeon, judging by the pink breast, white patch near the tail and the odd head pattern. That said, some Anas duck hybrids seem to throw up odd patterns which look more like they come from an other species altogether, like that black ‘vertical’ stripe appearing to point from the throat to the eye, like the similar stripe of Baikal Teal. Genetics can be a complicated thing!
Please ID the duck Q
As a regular reader, I need your help! As seen on Helston Lake, Cornwall, on 14 December, at midday. Is this a female Goldeneye, hybrid or Ferruginous Duck? Have waded through potential options but help appreciated please!! Simon Oldham
A
Judging by the shape and colour of the duck in your photograph, this does look to be a drake Ferruginous Duck. However, Ferruginous Ducks are tricky birds to ‘tick’ with confidence. In addition to escapes from wildfowl collections, there are recently released birds (usually ringed) which have come from the continent to hang out in various UK water bodies. Also, there was a report of wing-clipped drake Ferruginous Duck (ie of captive origin) at Helston, in the spring. So, we are not sure if this is the same individual hanging around, or not.
Downy Woodpecker? Q
Taken by my son in Squamish, BC, Canada recently. Could it be a Downy Woodpecker?
John Smith
A
There are two very similar black-and white woodpeckers (with a little bit of red on the nape of the neck in males), the Downy Woodpecker and the Hairy Woodpecker. The main difference between the two is the size, which is most obviously expressed in the length and shape of the bill. Downy Woodpeckers have very small, almost Lesser Spotted-like bills, whereas those of the Hairy Woodpecker are longer and stronger, more like the bill of a Great Spotted. And, like your son’s woodpecker. Incidentally, you can see that this fine photograph was taken on the western side of North America, as the Hairy Woodpeckers there have much less white feathering on the wings and back , being largely black with a smaller white back stripe.