Tampines residents attacked by crows after removal of nests

At least 10 residents, from the young to the elderly, were reportedly attacked by crows in a Tampines estate in recent months.

After nests were removed by authorities from trees in the area on Sep. 12, the attacks intensified, leading residents to suspect that it was a form of "retaliation" by the crows.

Residents told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that the crow attacks took place in the area between Tampines Street 42 and 43.

Attacked while crossing road

A resident of Block 443, a 42-year-old woman surnamed Luo (transliteration), said she was walking home at around 7pm on Sep. 12 when she was attacked by crows.

Luo said that she was on her phone when she passed a tree where crows were perched.

While crossing the road, two crows suddenly flew towards her.

One clawed at her head while the other pecked her shoulder.

"I was shocked and scared, screamed at the top of my lungs and ran across the road. Luckily, the crows didn't follow me", Luo told Shin Min.

Luo said her scalp was numb from the pain. She later found it was bleeding and treated the wound herself.

At least 7-8 people attacked that night

After escaping across the street, Luo said she saw a mother and daughter pair also getting attacked by the crows.

And while she was speaking to them, another man was attacked.

A video shared by Luo showed the man shielding his head with his hands and ducking to avoid the crows, Shin Min reported.

Luo said she witnessed at least seven to eight people attacked by crows that night.

Luo also called her daughter to tell her to avoid that route.

Attacks intensified after crow nests removed

A 65-year-old resident told Shin Min that the crow problem had been going on for several months.

He said that in recent weeks, he saw several birds' nests, believed to be crow nests, in trees in the area.

On Sep. 12, a team of workers arrived at around noon to remove the nests, as two crows circled nearby.

That same night, the crow attacks intensified.

To the resident, it did not appear to be a coincidence as the nests had contained eggs.

"I heard that crows have good memory. Perhaps because the nests were removed, so they took revenge on passersby," he said.

One victim had 8cm- long head wound

At least 10 residents have been victims of crow attacks in the area, Shin Min reported.

One such victim, a resident in his 70s surnamed Huang (transliteration), said he was attacked by crows while crossing the road on Sep. 2.

Huang said they flew at him from behind and clawed at him "before he could react".

The attack left Huang with a wound on his head that was approximately eight centimetres long, Shin Min reported.

Thankfully, after treating the wound, it did not get infected.

Residents are hoping that authorities can intervene to address the crow problem.

NParks' statement

In response to Mothership's enquiries, National Parks Board (NParks) group director for wildlife management How Choon Beng said that NParks is working with the Tampines Town Council to survey and remove crow nests in the area around Tampines Street 42 and 43 where incidents involving members of public and crows were reported.

"A nest in the vicinity was removed on Sep. 12. While crow aggression may persist briefly after nest removal, no further incidents were observed during NParks' surveys on Sep. 14," How said.

How noted that house crows (corvus splendens) are not native to Singapore but are an invasive species, and are particularly protective of their young, including fledglings and chicks.

As such, crows may attack when the chicks are in the nest or when they sense that their young are threatened, he said.

How said that NParks adopts a holistic and science-based approach to managing pest bird species, comprising measures such as food source reduction, habitat modification, and population control.

As part of the measures to manage the crow population in the area, crow nests are regularly removed, and crows are also trapped and removed.

NParks also conducts studies to understand the ecology of the birds, such as their roosting patterns and movements, he added.

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Top image from Shin Min Daily News