Fewer unpleasant episodes reported after NEA action
Cherie Thio Straits Times 9 Jun 12;
WHEN Bedok North resident Goh Eng Huat leaves food out in the open in his kitchen, his one big fear is not the creepy crawlies but the crowds of crows in his estate.
'Since last year, there have been more of them and it is a problem,' said the 27-year-old, who works in a moving company. He has lived in the area for about 10 years.
Other complaints include the birds swooping down on the heads of residents and their droppings making a mess of the day's washing hung out to dry.
'They flew towards my head once and although I dodged them, it was very frightening because they are big birds,' said Customs officer K. Shirah, 23.
But such unpleasant episodes are fewer these days, residents said, after the National Environment Agency (NEA) began culling the birds a few months ago.
Three nests in the area have also been removed, an NEA spokesman told The Straits Times.
The crow situation is not peculiar to Bedok North, noted veteran nature guide Subaraj Rajathurai.
Last year, the three hot spots for crow complaints were Bishan Street 13, Yishun Ring Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
Yishun Ring Road had also topped the list the previous year, with 67 people calling about the pesky feathered creatures. But last year, only 34 people called in.
'There are far fewer crows now because the NEA came to shoot them,' said Yishun resident Jimmy Tok, 65.
In 2008, the birds were a pest in the Orchard Road area. Car owners complained about bird poop on their vehicles parked opposite Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.
But the area is no longer plagued by the birds, said the NEA spokesman, after cleaning was intensified and culling introduced.
Indeed, the overall crow situation in Singapore has improved significantly in the last 10 years, said Mr Subaraj. He credits it to a study done by the late conservation scholar Navjot Sodhi in 2000.
The two-year study found that the crow population can be shrunk not only by shooting the birds, but also by covering public garbage bins and clearing hawker centre tables of food scraps.
As a result, their numbers have dropped from 120,000 in 2000 to about 10,000 five years later - a 90 per cent plunge.
The figure has hardly changed since then.
There are also fewer complaints to the NEA about crow attacks, nest sightings and the noise they make. Last year, it received 1,918 complaints, about 10 per cent fewer than the 2,107 in 2010.
Crows do not gather in any particular area, said Mr Subaraj. Instead, they 'go where there is food to be found'.
And it is unusual for crows to attack people, he added. They tend to swoop only at those who walk near their nests as they 'feel threatened'.
The best prevention is not to leave food in the open for them to scavenge, said Mr Subaraj, as he urged people to tie tightly their rubbish bags.
Bedok North residents who spoke to The Straits Times said part of the problem in their estate is a woman who feeds the crows daily.
'Many birds will flock to the ground floor of her block because she throws food for them out of her fifth-floor unit,' said Mr Goh.
Bird Problem
Singapore's crow population is about 10,000 - roughly the same as in 2005. It was 120,000 in 2000.
Last year, the NEA received 1,918 complaints about crows. This is about a 10 per cent drop from the 2,107 it received in 2010. The figures represent the number of people calling about crow attacks, nest sightings and noise nuisance.
Last year, the three hot spots for crow complaints were Bishan Street 13, Yishun Ring Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
