Feral cat predation

Names and classification

Record type

threat

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Recorded state

Active / localized to widespread

Threats and conservation

Pressure source

Feral and free-ranging cats

Exposure pathway

Predation on birds and other fauna at colonies, forests, coasts and grounded-bird locations

Consequences

Direct mortality; colony failure; mortality of light-grounded birds

Affected requirements

Adult survival, fledgling survival, colony productivity and terrestrial-fauna persistence

Susceptibility

Seabirds, waterbirds and other vulnerable native fauna

Reversibility

Reversible only while predator control/exclusion is maintained; recolonization risk high

Early warning indicators

Camera detections; tracks; carcasses; nest loss; cat activity near colonies

Conservation interventions

Implementation limits

Magnitude, exposure and trend are not assumed uniform across Kauaʻi; local evidence governs.

Sources and further reading

• https://kauaiseabirdproject.org/the-solutions/
• https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-01/discoveries-wonders-milestones

Connected Atlas records

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• Sea-cliff & wet-cliff ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Sandy beach & dune ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Offshore islet coastal & seabird ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Predator-exclusion fencing · Threats & Conservation
• Feral cat control · Threats & Conservation
• Seabird colony restoration, nest support & translocation · Threats & Conservation
• Waterbird predator control · Threats & Conservation