Expert’s plea to cat owners as rare songbird killed after epic journey from Siberia

Detailed summary

Rare: Experts said the bird had flown off course while heading south (Chris Hind) A Siberian songbird known for being vanishingly rare in the UK has died at the paws of a pet cat.…

A Siberian songbird known for being vanishingly rare in the UK has died at the paws of a pet cat.

The owner, from Brampton, Cumbria, reported the kill to her local RSPB after her cat brought home what she realised was a rare species.

The tiny creature with orange-red feathers was identified as a Siberian rubythroat by Chris Hind, Cumbria’s county recorder for birds.

Josh Jones, senior editor of Bird Guides, said: ‘After such a long journey from the vast wilderness of Siberia, it has perished in the most unfortunate of circumstances.’

Jones urged cat owners to fit their pets with bells in order to warn birds, adding: ‘Such deaths are perfectly avoidable by taking the right steps.’

He told BBC the bird was underweight and appeared to have flown ‘off course’ while migrating south.

He said: ‘At this time of year, Siberian rubythroats should be heading south from their Siberian breeding grounds to spend the winter in South-East Asia, highlighting just how far off course this bird in Cumbria was.’

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