October 23, 2019
A new science study reports on Birdsbesafe® cat collar covers' effectiveness at protecting birds from cats. Entitled "Birdsbesafe® collar cover reduces bird predation by domestic cats (Felis catus)", the report was published in the Journal of Zoology on October 8, 2019.
This field study, conducted on Isle of Man (UK) and in Scotland (UK), showed a 78% reduction in the number of birds caught when pet cats wore the Birdsbesafe® cat collar cover. This is a high level of bird protection and the first formal scientific validation of the product in the U.K., although anecdotal successes have been reported to us for a decade.
The authors, Catherine Pemberton and Graeme Ruxton, a professor at St. Andrews University wrote:
"The domestic cat (Felis catus) is one of the world’s most damaging invasive species, especially threatening to local bird populations. This study examined the efficacy of the Birdsbesafe® collar cover at reducing predation rates by household cats on avian populations. The vivid colours of the Birdsbesafe® collar cover are assumed to alert nearby birds to the cat’s presence, allowing them to escape safely. Overall, 19 cats were trialled over 8 weeks and the Birdsbesafe® collar cover resulted in a reduction of 78% in the number of birds killed."
The study was quickly cited in the popular press, in Biorama, an Austrian magazine, in an online article here by Thomas Weber. You may need Google translate to help you, if you don't speak German. Look for a related article in their print magazine in December.
The first study of our product in the United Kingdom, the recent scientific report validates our product's effectiveness with local British songbirds. The results nearly mirror the U.S. field study results, which showed an average of 87% reduction in birds caught over two seasons.
The Birdsbesafe cat collar covers' bright colors around the cat's neck make the cat easier for songbirds to see. With further studies underway, in other locations, we at the Birdsbesafe company are grateful to the scientists, cat owners and others who are independently testing our product across the northern hemisphere.
The future for birds versus cats is getting brighter every day!
November 28, 2020
As we enter the holiday season, in 2020, it is remarkable how very unique 2020 has been around the globe. What remained the same, for us at Birdsbesafe company, was our devotion to helping cat owners save birds!
October 17, 2020
We really enjoy hearing from you about your successes with Birdsbesafe® collar covers on your cats protecting birds in your yards. Here's just a sampling of some recent emails that we have received! We appreciate every one of them.
Thanks for caring about cats and birds.
"We love your product, it’s amazingly effective…not a single caught bird since we’ve started using the collar covers. Wish all cat owners who let their cats outside knew about these."
October 08, 2020
Today, in Vermont, we are past our peak foliage color display, and the first snow fell in the White Mountains last night in nearby NH. Many species of birds have already migrated through, on their way to wintering locations to the south.
A few weeks ago, we saw this unidentified Thrush species, with a few other birds, grazing over a period of days as they fed for the long flights to come. And today, there were Dark-eyed Juncos and a small flock of these Sparrows.
