I see a natural predator trying to kill a wild bird. What should I do?
While cats both domestic and feral are an introduced, unnatural, subsidized predator to wild birds, birds do have a lot of natural predators. These might include hawks, foxes, crows, or snapping turtles (for waterfowl). Their numbers are controlled by the availability of food, habitat, disease, and their own predators (unlike cats). If someone sees a wild bird being attacked by a natural predator, they should not intervene. This is one situation where “letting nature take its course” is the best course of action.
A predator just attacked a wild bird. Should I try to save the bird ?
Most predators only have a success rate between 10-30%. They need to eat too, and when they are able to catch something, it might be their only meal for a while.
Unlike house cats, who may catch a wild bird just to play with it, wild predators catch to kill and eat. The injuries inflicted almost always mean the prey bird will die or have to be euthanized.
If you chase a predator off of its successful catch, not only will the injured bird almost certainly not survive but the predator will remain hungry, and will have to catch and kill another wild bird for its meal.
Of course, if a wild bird is dropped by a predator, or a predator is accidentally startled from its meal, or it’s clear that the predator is not coming back for the wounded bird, the bird should be contained and brought to Le Nichoir.