A new study published by Canadian scientists in the fully electronic, open-access journal Avian Conservation and Ecology reveals how we kill birds by the millions.
Human-related activities destroy about 269 million birds and 2 million bird nest per year. About 99% of these bird deaths are caused by pet and feral cats and collisions with: buildings, vehicles and electricity lines.
More than 100 million birds fall prey to cats, about 60% to feral cats. Ground-nesting birds are especially vulnerable.
Between 10 and 41 million birds per year die on electricity lines by collision and electrocution and about 400,000 nests are destroyed by vegetation clearing under lines.
Collisions with buildings, mostly with houses, kills 16 to 42 million per year. Tall buildings kill less than 0.01%. About 14 million die in collisions with vehicles.
Particular human activities cause very high mortality and threaten particular bird species. These bird deaths can be reduced by adjustment of our activities. Even some maritime (Common Eiders) and oceanic birds (Black-footed Albatross) suffer threateningly high mortalities from some of our actions that need to be changed.
What you can do: Bird Studies Canada www.bcs-eoc.org