Scientists are concerned about a large number of endangered seabirds killed by feral cats in remote areas of Kauai.

The Kaua’i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project conducted field research on endangered seabirds — including the Newell’s shearwater — to gain a better understanding of what is causing a population decline.

Video cameras that were set up at burrows in the mountains show images of feral cats killing breeding birds.

There have been 25 instances caught on camera showing feral cats trying to get into the burrows of nesting shearwaters, according to a news release from the Department of Land and Natural Resources. So far this season, the remains of nine endangered seabirds killed by cats have been discovered at multiple remote sites on Kauai.

The feral cat population has been an ongoing community concern, prompting the Kauai County Council to create a task force to come up with recommendations on how to best manage the population, estimated at 15,000 to 20,000.

The Kauai Feral Cat Task Force is scheduled to provide a report on Wednesday.

In a video posted on the seabird recovery project’s website, a cat is seen entering a Newell’s shearwater burrow at a site within the Hono o Na Pali Natural Area Reserve. The feline then exits with a shearwater bird in its mouth before killing it. Scientists described the seabird as one of a pair of endangered Newell’s shearwaters that successfully fledged a chick last year.

"This is yet more evidence of the serious conservation impact that feral cats are having on our endangered wildlife," said seabird recovery project coordinator Andre Raine in a news release. There are numerous instances where seabirds have been killed by predators at their nests.

"The cameras are showing that cats are regularly visiting seabird burrows in all of our monitored colonies," he said, adding the animals are capable of wiping out entire colonies of native and endemic seabirds.

Feral cats also were recorded targeting downed fledgling seabirds in urban areas throughout the island.

Raine said cats represent a conservation threat to native seabirds, and removal in both remote and urban areas should be considered a top priority.

"This needs to be undertaken in a sensitive and humane manner, but needs to be done as soon as possible before this predation pressure, combined with all of the other threats facing these species, causes localized or islandwide extinction," he added.

Recommendations by the task force include compiling a report of the estimated number of endangered birds killed by cats; strengthening the county’s new cat licensing program; trapping; and creating a map that identifies wildlife habitats susceptible to predation.

The Kauai County Council earlier this year passed a bill requiring pet owners to license their cats and set up spaying and neutering requirements for cats that are allowed to roam outside.