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The death of adults has very severe consequences for populations of long-lived birds, because their reproductive rates are low and this parental investment in raising young is high. (Photo byJ. Jeffrey) Desrt0 a/e ~nPwa n maturity. Even birds that nest and feed in wds are are - a killed by cats, demonstrating that no bird in any habitat is (Photdhy~g~bycatbeI o n yeweatWhflasim a safe from these stealthy, wide-ranging, introduced predators. en44,-nNPe7l'sa~ocacosa oa~Pa -tyeKa"u Cats Carry and Transmit Diseases to Other Wildlife feral cats nd the ~atki/Is Not only do cats prey on vulnerable endangered birds, but using various tools in. remains, they also carry diseases that may infect endangered birds and cluding remote cameras and telemetry. other wildlife. Cats are the definitive host of a potentially fatal disease called toxoplasmosis. In Hawai'i, toxoplasmosis has Remote Cameras Capture Images of Feral Cats killed native Hawaiian birds such as the critically endangered Surveillance cameras installed at nests of the palila revealed Wald (Corvus hawaiiensis), the endangered nene (Hawaiian that cats reduce palila nest success. Cats mainly kill palila goose; Branta sandvicensis), and even seabirds such as the chicks, although adult females may be killed while sitting on red-footed booby (Sula sula). Because the protozoan organism the nest. Cat kills at nests not being monitored by cameras are that causes toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii) can complete identified by hair, claw marks, and tracks around the nest. Up an important part of its life cycle in seawater, this disease also to 11% of palila nests are depredated by feral cats each year. poses a threat to marine mammals. Fatal toxoplasmosis was These losses may threaten the survival of the species, which recently confirmed in an endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Mo- lays few eggs each year and takes a long time to develop to nachus schauinslandi), and may possibly threaten other marine adulthood. In contrast, mainland songbirds have much larger mammals in Hawai' i such as the spinner dolphin (Stenella lon- clutches and raise nestlings much more quickly, decreasing girostris). In addition to threatening wildlife, toxoplasmosis is zoonotic and poses a significant health risk to pregnant women. Feral cats are also known to carry bacteria that have killed pueo (Hawaiian Short-eared Owls; Asio flammeus sandwichensis) and alala. USGS Studies Ecology of Feral Cats in Subalpine Hawaii Island Feral cats now live throughout the dry subalpine and alpine shmblands of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii. Being completely isolated from human settlements, these cats live entirely off the land under extreme conditions, enduring freezing temperatures, battling lethal diseases, and relying entirely on hunting wildlife. Although feral cats exist '-rr+ in small numbers in these rugged ecosystems, they can be very damaging to endangered birds, such as the palila (Loxioides bailleui) and the 'ua'u. Understanding how feral cats live, Feral cats are difficult to study because of their nocturnal habits and move, and feed will allow us to formulate better strategies to wariness of people. Infrared-triggered cameras are used to determine protect endangered birds. The USGS has been investigating the presence of cats in the vicinity of endangered birds.