I used to have a cat that would lay on the porch rail and when a bird would fly out of the tree he would leap up and catch it in mid air. He never seemed to mind the free fall down and held on to his catch.
My cat is so old and blind and fat that I'd think he wouldn't catch birds any more. He tries to hang out and watch the bird feeder though.
Both cat and dog are allowed to be mousers, but I don't like them catchin' birds!