Singapore made a crow-friendly city. Now it wants to shoot them

Singapore has reinstated a crow-shooting program to address public complaints of crows attacking pedestrians and cyclists, according to a recent Mongabay report. The National Development Minister, Chee Hong Tat, declared that alternative methods like trapping, tree pruning, and nest removal had failed to alleviate the issue. How Choon Beng, director of wildlife management at the National Parks Board, explained to the reporter that shooting, along with other strategies, would result in a "gradual and sustained reduction" in crow numbers.

However, some wildlife experts argue that culling is merely a reactive approach that doesn't tackle the root causes of the crow population boom. Albert Liu, assistant director for conservation at the Nature Society Singapore, stated that culling mainly aims to demonstrate government action and "addresses the symptoms, not the cause."

Ecologists point out that the excessive presence of nuisance birds like house crows, Javan mynas, and common pigeons is solely attributed to human-made urban conditions. These birds thrive in cities due to the abundant food supply, nesting sites, and scarce predators.

Research indicates that most crow species flourish as cities expand, as they find ample nourishment, suitable nesting spots, and fewer predators in urban areas. A Singapore-specific study from 2003 corroborates these findings. For instance, crows frequently build nests in yellow flame trees, which are prevalent in the cityscape.