At least two crows have been attacking passers-by outside Orchard Central, opposite Decathalon, recently.

It's not yet known why they are behaving with such aggression towards humans but crows typically act in aggression to protect their young.

Passers-by were attacked from the back

On Oct. 26 afternoon, Mothership observed that the crows would attack as frequently as 20 times in 15 minutes.

A crow would swoop down from either a sign post or lamp post to peck a passer-by at the neck or ear area from the back, catching them off guard.

The attack appeared to be unprovoked, similar to the case happened in Bishan earlier this year.

@mothershiponearth They do be out here showing why they're called a murder of crows. Watch out for them when you're in the area #singapore #tiktoksg #fyp #crowattack ♬ original sound - Mothership on Earth

Two particular crows appeared to show such aggression even though there were others perching or flying nearby as well.

The attacks were more spaced out at around 5:30pm and the crows mostly targeted men.

An eyewitness told The Straits Times that she saw a man's ear bled after being attacked.

However, towards the evening, closer to 7pm, the crows seems to be attacking adults more often.

House crows protective of fledglings

Anbarasi Boopal, co-CEO of Acres, spoke to Mothership previously about the phenomenon of crow attacks, explaining that while the crow attacks may seem scary for many, it is important to understand why they behaved this way. 

Some tips can help members of the public avoid such situations and minimise panic, Boopal added. 

House crows (Corvus splendens) behave in such a manner because they are protective of their young. Just like other animals, they will thus guard their young who are learning to fly, Boopal shared back then.

In response to the case in Bishan, Adrian Loo, Group Director of Wildlife Management at NParks, also echoed that the House crows are particularly protective of their young, both chicks and fledglings. When the adults sense that their young are threatened, they may attack.

Previously, Tan Gim Cheong, the Bird Group Chair of Nature Society (Singapore), also advised members of the public to wear a hat or hold an umbrella to protect themselves from the crows.

He discouraged people to fight back after being attacked by crows because they are very intelligent animals that will remember your face if you retaliate.

Top image by Audrey Lee