Urban Crow Population Management
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns strategies to manage Singapore’s urban crow population and whether tree locations or counts are factored into discouraging roosting. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee explained that the National Parks Board (NParks) adopts a science-based approach focusing on food source reduction, habitat modification, and population control. This includes conducting enforcement against bird-feeding, partnering with agencies for better food waste management, and implementing humane trapping and nest removal according to international standards. NParks also advises Town Councils on greenery management, such as pruning and planting specific tree species less attractive to birds based on studies of their roosting patterns. The government continues to review these measures and encourages public cooperation in maintaining cleanliness to mitigate disamenities caused by pest birds in residential estates.
Transcript
32 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what strategies are being considered to manage the urban bird population, especially that of crows; and (b) whether there are considerations on issues, such as locations and the number of trees that are planted in neighbourhoods, behind strategies to discourage the roosting of birds.
Mr Desmond Lee: The National Parks Board (NParks) adopts a science and community-based approach to managing Singapore's population of pest birds, including crows. This comprises measures, such as food source reduction, habitat modification and population control.
As bird-feeding and human-generated food sources are key drivers of pest bird population growth, NParks works with the Singapore Food Agency, National Environment Agency and Town Councils to raise public awareness on the negative impacts of bird-feeding. NParks also conducts surveillance and enforcement against such acts, and partners agencies and Town Councils to encourage proper food waste management by residents and food establishments.
In addition, NParks works closely with stakeholders, including Town Councils and the industry, to conduct population control for pest birds in a sustainable and humane manner. For example, NParks conducts regular surveys of crow nests in estates and advises Town Councils to remove them, where relevant. The trapping and removal of crows are carried out humanely, in line with international standards.
NParks also shares best practices and guidelines to support Town Councils' greenery management efforts in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates. For example, to reduce bird-related disamenities to residents, Town Councils are advised to prune trees to discourage roosting or to plant tree species that are less attractive to birds, such as mynas and crows. This is informed by NParks' studies to understand the ecology of birds, including their roosting patterns and movements.
NParks will continue to regularly review its measures to manage the pest bird population and mitigate disamenities to residents. All of us can also play our part by not feeding pest birds and keeping our environment clean.