Habitat loss, bioaccumulation of Neonicotinoids and predation by invasive species (domestic cats included) are top three issues for declining numbers of songbirds in the US.
Even the studies most friendly to your position put the conglomerate that cats are counted it in 4th place - e.g.:
Habitat Loss & Degradation (40-50%)
Climate Change (20-30%)
Pesticides & Chemical Pollution (10-15%)
Predation by Domestic & Invasive Species (5-10%)
Collisions (5-10%)
Disease & Parasites (1-5%)
Illegal Hunting & Trapping (1-3%)
Light Pollution (<1-2%)
Let’s be very generous and concede cats could contribute 5% (sorry magpies, crows, etc pp. - you contribte almost nothing)
I don’t argue this point because I am way to fond of cats. I don’t even agree with the above scale - at least when it comes to (formerly) common birds such as house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and common blackbird (Turdus merula). Their main problems are Usutu virus and loss of insect biomass.
I am shit-scared about the loss of insect biomass. I am old and observant enough to have recognized the Windshield phenomenon by myself. I concur with the Danish study hinting at a 80% decrease from 1997 until 2017 (I actually think it is higher now). I live in major city with nice parks - the decrease is observable here too.
If the food supply of songbirds has declined by at least 80% that is your biggest problem right there - and it does not only affect songbirds and not only insectivores.
Over-emphasizing cats in this situation is a smoke screen/ red herring akin to BP pushing the carbon footprint of the common man.
Major environmental effects of climate change be it sea level rise, ocean acidification, drought, intensifying storms and temperature rise are all changes to abiotic conditions. Changing abiotic conditions leads to changes in biotic conditions. A habitat is defined by the combination of biotic and abiotic conditions. Therefore climate change should be included in habitat loss.
The current problem of insectivores is a massive massive lack of insects, not cats.
Habitat loss, bioaccumulation of Neonicotinoids and predation by invasive species (domestic cats included) are top three issues for declining numbers of songbirds in the US.
Edit: added region
Even the studies most friendly to your position put the conglomerate that cats are counted it in 4th place - e.g.:
Let’s be very generous and concede cats could contribute 5% (sorry magpies, crows, etc pp. - you contribte almost nothing)
I don’t argue this point because I am way to fond of cats. I don’t even agree with the above scale - at least when it comes to (formerly) common birds such as house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and common blackbird (Turdus merula). Their main problems are Usutu virus and loss of insect biomass.
I am shit-scared about the loss of insect biomass. I am old and observant enough to have recognized the Windshield phenomenon by myself. I concur with the Danish study hinting at a 80% decrease from 1997 until 2017 (I actually think it is higher now). I live in major city with nice parks - the decrease is observable here too.
If the food supply of songbirds has declined by at least 80% that is your biggest problem right there - and it does not only affect songbirds and not only insectivores.
Over-emphasizing cats in this situation is a smoke screen/ red herring akin to BP pushing the carbon footprint of the common man.
Major environmental effects of climate change be it sea level rise, ocean acidification, drought, intensifying storms and temperature rise are all changes to abiotic conditions. Changing abiotic conditions leads to changes in biotic conditions. A habitat is defined by the combination of biotic and abiotic conditions. Therefore climate change should be included in habitat loss.