Complaints about and Methods to Curb Crow Populations
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns crow population management in Singapore, with Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song inquiring about complaint statistics and the efficacy of current control methods. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee reported that NParks received 2,750 feedback cases in 2020 and employs a science-based approach focusing on habitat modification, population reduction, and food source control. Key measures include directional tree pruning, nest removal, and the use of traps alongside inter-agency enforcement against illegal bird-feeding and littering. NParks is also refining its strategies by conducting behavioral studies and working with the pest control industry to develop innovative, humane trap designs.
Transcript
34 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many complaints about crow problems, including attacks on people, has NParks received in 2020; (b) what are the methods used to manage the crow population; and (c) whether NParks has evaluated the effectiveness of its current methods of trapping crows.
Mr Desmond Lee: In 2020, NParks received about 2,750 cases of crow-related feedback, relating to issues such as noise, crow sightings, feeding, and crow attacks.
NParks adopts a holistic and science-based approach to managing the crow population, including measures such as habitat modification, population reduction, and food source reduction. Habitat modification involves the directional pruning of trees to deter crows from perching and to break up large roosts. Where appropriate, NParks also surveys and removes crow nests to reduce the territorial behaviour of crows and minimise attacks. In tandem, NParks works with Town Councils to reduce the crow population through the use of crow traps.
Food made available by humans is a key driver of crow population growth. NParks works closely with SFA, NEA, and the Town Councils to encourage proper food waste management at food establishments and to enforce against littering and illegal bird-feeding. NParks also partners agencies and Town Councils to educate the community on proper refuse management.
NParks will continue to refine its current methods to manage the crow population. Beyond working with the pest control industry to develop innovative trap designs to ensure that crows are trapped in a humane and effective manner, NParks conducts studies to better monitor and survey the crow population, and to provide insight to the behavioural and movement patterns of crows. This helps to enhance the effectiveness of NParks’ measures to manage the crow population, including its crow trapping operations.