The housecat is Wildlife Enemy number one, having destroyed at least 33 bird species worldwide.

It looks like we humans aren’t the biggest animal destroyers after all. The house cat kills at least 480 million birds every year- in just the United States. There is a cost to this too, according to a report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Bird predation by cats results in a loss of $17 billion each year. In the US, there are 60 million cats. Though it’s known that these cats kill 8 birds a year each, it’s been theorized that the total bird kill could be as high as one billion every year. 

Though if you’re worried about this being your cat, the chances aren’t as high. Most of these birds are killed by stray cats, though if you’re a cat owner it’s probably likely you have a story or two to tell about the time your cat left a present on your doorstep. Cats are natural predators, and for their size, they’re very good at it. 

(Source)