Get free weekly insights that help you understand your cat better.
North America has lost approximately 2.9 billion breeding birds—a 29% decline—since 1970, according to a landmark study led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology / Science (2019)
Methodology
Analysis of 529 species using 48 years of monitoring data from North American Breeding Bird Survey, Christmas Bird Count, and weather radar
Notes
Provides population context for cat predation impact. Cats are one of several factors contributing to bird decline, alongside habitat loss, pesticides, and window collisions.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology / Science. (2019). Decline of the North American Avifauna. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/wildlife-impact/#us-bird-population-decline-1970
2.4 billion
Cat predation is the single largest human-related cause of bird mortality in the US, killing an estimated 2.4 billion birds per year
Nature Communications (2024)
365M-1B
Building window collisions kill an estimated 365-988 million birds annually in the US, with some estimates exceeding 1 billion
The Condor / American Bird Conservancy (2024)
1.3-4.0 billion
Free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 1.3-4.0 billion birds annually in the United States
Nature Communications (2013)
6.3-22.3 billion
Free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 6.3-22.3 billion mammals annually in the United States
Nature Communications (2013)
