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Paide chicks are highly vulnerable to predators because their nestling <br />development period is approximately twice as long as that of continen- <br />tal songbirds. <br />In order to track the movements of feral cats in endangered paldaterri- <br />tory, cats were trapped and fitted with radio collars before release back <br />to the wild. <br />their exposure to predators dramatically. In addition, many <br />Hawaiian birds exhibit little fear of potential predators and often <br />lack avoidance behaviors. <br />Telemetry <br />Radio transmitters were attached to a sample of cats captured <br />on Mauna Kea in order to describe their home ranges, move - <br />meats and activity patterns. <br />On Mauna Kea, some male <br />cats can range up to 20 <br />km2 (8 mi') and this rivals <br />the largest reported home <br />range for a feral cat from <br />anywhere in the world. In <br />contrast, the home ranges <br />of three females averaged <br />less than 8 km' (3 min). <br />The significance of these <br />large home ranges and daily <br />movements is that cats <br />coyeted etedeao�Geobevom� <br />threaten <br />ae NasatdbV a °ac ateeolt nesting birds <br />jhrs Pslitee0 �t\off\� dao9 <br />s b �s eb from great distances. In <br />ob�cKs data addition, several cats may hunt <br />ba o <br />optt+°p°Q in the same area, exposing birds to threats <br />from a host of different cats over a short period of <br />time. In the case of palila occupying only about 140 km' <br />(54 mil), the home range of each male cat represents more than <br />10% of this area. Cats are most active at night, when birds have <br />settled on their nests and are particularly vulnerable. <br />Stomach contents from feral cats captured at two sites were <br />examined in order to characterize the diet of these introduced <br />predators (Figure 1). Feral cats on Mauna Kea subsist to a great <br />extent on invertebrates and birds, including both songbirds <br />The home ranges of a male lorange) and a female (blue) feral cat within <br />the critical habitat of the endangered palila (red lines) on the West <br />Slope of Mauna Kea. The home range of the male was 20.1 km', and the <br />home range of the female was 6.1 km'. Smaller shapes inside the home <br />ranges are areas that the cats used more intensively. <br />