NParks wants households to cut off the crows’ food supply, after a shooting operation beside Aljunied MRT station on Thursday (15 October) drew crowds of commuters. The National Parks Board’s house crow advice is plain: do not feed the birds, keep bins covered, and keep food out of reach indoors.
On Monday (19 October), NParks stated that it has culled more than 2,500 crows since shooting resumed on 24 March, in NParks figures carried by 8world. The operations have grown from nine areas to more than 20 across the island, including Ang Mo Kio, Choa Chu Kang and Geylang, 8world reported.
Why Aljunied
NParks had worked the open ground next to Aljunied MRT for more than a year before the shooting team arrived. Between January 2025 and April 2026, NParks removed more than 70 nests in the area, trapped more than 100 crows and pruned trees to cut roosting spots.
The birds adapted and grew wary of the traps, so NParks added shooting as a supplementary measure. On the day, the area was cordoned off, warning signs went up at the entrances and safety officers guided commuters, pedestrians and drivers past the site.
The house crow is an invasive species that threatens native wildlife, brings noise and hygiene problems, and can attack people while guarding its young. In Parliament on 6 October, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said: “Since crow shooting resumed, NParks has progressively expanded operations to suitable areas, including Hougang, Tampines and Bedok North. In selecting locations, NParks takes into consideration factors, such as human traffic and proximity to buildings, with public safety as a priority.”
What NParks asks residents to do
Shooting is one tool among several. The others, from trapping and nest removal to pruning, food-source reduction and action against illegal feeding, depend on void decks, kitchens and hawker centres. NParks’ advice for homes:
- Clear leftover food from the sink straight after washing up.
- Keep all food, fruit included, in the fridge or in cupboards.
- Cover every bin, ideally with a heavy lid.
- Use deterrents such as bird spikes on ledges where crows perch.
- Do not feed crows, or any wild bird.
If a crow swoops
Most attacks come from breeding crows defending a nest or chicks. NParks advises people to stay away from the nest area, keep their distance, avoid loud talking and flash photography, and never touch, chase or corner a crow.
Injured or distressed crows, and attacks that keep happening, can be reported to NParks’ Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600.
The petition
Not everyone backs the culls. A Change.org petition titled End Urban Bird Culling in Singapore: A Call for Compassionate Coexistence asks NParks to publish data on urban bird numbers and on how well its measures work, to strengthen legal protection for four urban bird species including crows, pigeons and mynas, and to consult residents and animal welfare groups, with independent observers, before any cull. The petition wants culling kept as a last resort, behind cutting the human food sources that let crows thrive.
