Battle plan to cut crow menace

By Sharmilpal Kaur

A WAR against crows is looming.

The battle plan is to decimate the numbers of these raucous scavengers, bringing the total down to a tenth of the 98,000 or so now in Singapore.

This is because they are considered a nuisance, as they are noisy and they scatter food scraps about.

 

Join in the discussion on how to keep crows in check! Click the image. A STUDY by the National University of Singapore's Department of Biological Science estimated there were 172,000 birds here in February last year. The Environment Ministry said they cull 75,000 crows a year in order to keep its population in check. Food spillage is one of the reasons crows infest public places. Crows have been known to attack. In May this year, two men were reportedly pecked by the birds.

There will be no attempt to eradicate them altogether because it could mean a rise in other refuse-eating animals, like rats.

According to a two-year study of the crows, a sustained campaign against the birds can bring their population down to almost a tenth of what it is today, or 10,000, within 10 years.

The 10,000 target is likely to be adopted by the Ministry of the Environment (ENV).

The study was commissioned by the authorities to find out the size of the crow population here, and what the birds' habits are.

Before the study was done, there was only limited information on the birds available. The study is believed to be the first full study on them in the world.

It was headed by Associate Professor Navjot Sodhi of the Department of Biological Sciences from the National University of Singapore.

At the study's start in February last year, there were 172,000 of the birds here. The Singapore Gun Club has reduced their numbers to the current 98,000 or so by shooting them.

Mr Satish Appoo, ENV's deputy head of environmental health, said: 'We'll follow what is recommended in the report.'

The ministry has been trying to solve the crow problem for some years now.

The study also involved placing tracking devices on 12 crows, to monitor the birds' favourite hang-outs.

Almost 100,000 crows add up to a big nuisance; study says there should be no more than 10,000 here. -- STEPHANIE YEOW

Said Prof Sodhi: 'Most of them can be found at coffeeshops and hawker centres.'

The study confirmed that the birds feed on human refuse, such as food scraps.

Prof Sodhi said that the birds pose no dire health hazard as they do not carry serious diseases, and they attack people only if provoked.

He would like to see a multi-pronged solution to the number of crows here and has suggested that the birds be culled by shooting them, by managing food scraps better so they have less to eat, and by looking at a long-term tree-management programme, which would deny them places to build nests.

ENV has already enforced the rule that requires all bins be covered and has started to introduce table-cleaning teams at hawker centres, so that leftover food is cleared as fast as possible.

Said Prof Sodhi: 'It's working, because now I see thinner crows.'