10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2019

There are still very real threats of predation by feral cats and birds of prey, but we just have to be optimistic. They are close to a section of reef now, which offers good food and a bit further from the worst of the four-wheel drive traffic.

Eggs 151

Eggs Feral Cats Shelters Feral 151

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2014

– Greater Rheas : Germany’s new Big Bird – Feral Pigeons World Wide – New York City’s First Eurasian Collared-Dove – The Eurasian Collared-Dove Explosion: Coming to a Town Near You! … Here at 10,000 Birds 20 July – 26 July is Invasive Species Week.

Species 160

Species Feral Cats Feral Miami 160

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2015

The main problem appears to be feral cats, but there is also predation from birds of prey and the parent Pied Oystercatchers do their utmost to protect their young. Feral cat prints at nest site-eggs gone. A normally quiet species, that walks a lot more than it flies, takes on a whole new role once it has laid eggs.

Feral Cats 163

Feral Cats Eggs Feral Cats 163

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2012

Feral cats are a huge problem in Australia and they do take a lot of the eggs. These are not pet cats, but cats that have only ever lived in the wild and can survive in extreme conditions.

Eggs 200

Eggs Turtles Feral Cats Investigation 200

10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2018

Feral cats have been an issue in previous years and continue to be a problem along the length of Cable Beach that we monitor. The upcoming days and weeks are always hard on Pied Oystercatcher chicks and they mostly don’t survive due to predation. There are several birds of prey in the area including Black Kites and Brown Falcons.

2018 100

2018 Eggs Feral Cats Camels 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2011

Sadly a lot of eggs are lost to feral cats and chicks are sometimes taken by birds of prey. The first eggs are laid during the first week of July each year and if these eggs fail to hatch or the chicks are lost they will lay further eggs within a few weeks. We had one pair attempt 5 times in 2009, so they don’t give up easily!

2002 171

2002 Feral Cats Eggs 2007 171

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2016

I say “luck” because there is a problem with predation by feral cats and it really is beyond their control as it were. They have not always partnered together, but the female bird appears to have a lot more luck than others. The first clutch of eggs were first observed on June 11th and were predated a few days later.

Breeding 100

Breeding Eggs Feral Cats 2000 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2018

We do not add debris to protect the nests and the main threat to the nests still appears to be feral cats. Each one of those nests was slightly different and those with the large pieces of debris around them were exactly as we found them.

Eggs 131

Eggs Feral Cats Feral Raised 131

10,000 Birds

JULY 31, 2011

Thankfully they do live for many years and the population is not in decline at present, despite the feral cats getting their eggs. We have never seen two survive and the success of even one is remote.

Feral Cats 185

Feral Cats Eggs Feral Cats 185

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2012

We were not too happy to see a feral cat in the middle of the day eyeing off the shorebirds on the edge of the lagoon. A Spotted Harrier made an appearance and the Brown Falcons that had eluded us all day were suddenly everywhere! Such are the vagaries of birding!

Feral Cats 129

Feral Cats Zebras Feral Ducks 129

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

Australia is a vast country with a very small human population, which mostly clings to the edge of the continent. Even the first explorers to Australia documented there was a risk of extinction of birds and animals into the future and subsequently decided to collect as many specimens as possible! Preface,p.xxiv.

Species 189

Species Australia Birds Parrots 189

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2011

We keep our observations to a minimum to avoid disturbance and usually only visit the nest site once to get GPS coordinates to report to Birds Australia’s Nest record Scheme. With the data we have collected over the years we are hoping to address the predation of eggs by feral cats in the Broome area.

Breeding 205

Breeding Feral Cats Eggs Feral 205