Attack of the crows: Passers-by pecked at, harassed outside Orchard Central

SINGAPORE - At least two crows have been seen attacking people walking just outside an entrance to the Orchard Central mall.

The attacks have prompted the National Parks Board (NParks) to remove nests in the area on Thursday (Oct 26) "to prevent similar incidents".

The Straits Times (ST) understands the feathered couple was otherwise not disturbed.

On Thursday afternoon, the two birds were spotted harassing unsuspecting passers-by, with ST observing about 10 attacks an hour during a visit to the area.

Taking off from street signs, the birds swooped in from behind the victims, grazing their shoulders with their talons and pecking at their necks and ears. After each attack, they were seen retreating to a particular tree, close to the mall's outdoor escalator.

They seemed to mostly target men who, unaware, had strayed too close to the tree. One man was seen leaving the area clutching a bleeding earlobe.

An eyewitness, Ms Joyce Heng, told ST that she warned several pedestrians about the birds on Thursday after she saw another man's ear bleed from an attack.

The 49-year-old spoke to the victim, who told her he was going to the pharmacy while pressing on his wound, she added.

She was taken aback by the ferocity of the birds, adding: "The birds attacked some people repeatedly, chasing them even when they dodged. One uncle was attacked thrice."

Another eyewitness, Ms Kim Choo, had on Tuesday noticed and filmed the birds attacking three passers-by within a minute and sent the footage to citizen journalism portal Stomp.

She said: "I kept to the sheltered area near the mall because the crows were attacking people only at the open air walkway.

"I started filming after I saw them attack a man until his ear bled."

Ms Choo was concerned about children and people going up the nearby escalator with their backs turned.

"Imagine if they lose their balance and fall from the shock of an attack," said the 53-year-old.

Known as house crows, the birds are an invasive species from South Asia.

Experts say house crows are particularly protective of their young and may attack people if they sense their fledglings and chicks are threatened.

"Crows normally leave people alone. They only harass to protect their nests," said chairman of Nature Society Singapore's bird group Tan Gim Cheong.

That said, Mr Tan added that the population of house crows should be managed as they pose a threat to native species.

He pointed out that these winged aliens are known to prey on the native Malaysian plover, a critically endangered bird.

NParks' group director of wildlife management Ryan Lee said the authorities adopt a range of measures to manage the crow population, including removing their nests and sources of food, modifying their habitats and trapping the birds.

Compared with poisoning them, trapping and euthanising the birds was a more humane method, he said.

NParks no longer culls crows by shooting.

The public can mitigate the ills of overpopulation by not feeding birds and disposing of food scraps properly, said Mr Lee.

Troublemaking crows have made headlines several times this year. In February, an aggressive colony in Bishan was culled after a rash of complaints from residents who were attacked.

Though Ms Heng felt the situation at Orchard Central was not safe for people walking past, she did not think the public "has the right to say whether the birds should live or die".

"It is better to leave it to the professionals," she said.

• Additional reporting by Ashleigh Sim and Gavin Foo

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

ALSO READ: 'I don't dare to walk along that path': Crow attacks in Serangoon lead to NParks trapping birds and removing nests