Cats Are Killing One Million Native Aussie Birds Each Day

Better sort out a collar and bell for your pet cat – Aussie researchers have found millions of native birds are killed each year by the furry felines.

Published in journal Biological Conversation, the study found feral cats kill 316 million birds every year while pet cats knock out 61 million birds, AAP reports.

That's roughly one million birds per day.

"Everyone knows that cats kill birds, but this study shows that, at a national level, the amount of predation is staggering, and is likely to be driving the ongoing decline of many species," said Charles Darwin University lead researcher Professor John Woinarski.

Drawing on data from previous studies, researchers found cats kill off around four per cent of the annual bird population, which is estimated to be at about 11 million nationally.

Of the birds killed, 99 per cent are native to Australia, with $30 million already invested by the government to reduce the threat posed by feral cats.

"Responsible pet owners can help reduce the impact of domestic cats by desexing them and keeping them indoors or in a cat run,” Acting Threatened Species Commissioner Sebastian Lang.

“These are great ways to protect our wildlife that can also improve the well being of domestic cats.”