Crow shooting resumes in 9 districts, starting with Yishun
Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said last month that shooting would resume as other measures to manage the crow population were inadequate on their own.
A shooter aims at a crow during an NParks operation in Yishun on Mar 24, 2026. (Photo: MND)
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SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) has resumed crow shooting in Singapore, with operations beginning in Yishun on Tuesday (Mar 24).
Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat announced the planned resumption last month, citing a rise in crow-related feedback and crow attacks since Singapore stopped crow shooting in 2020.
Mr Chee said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that shooting operations commenced successfully in Yishun the day before.
“We will start in nine districts - Bishan, Jurong, Kranji, Punggol, Sembawang, Tampines, Toa Payoh, Woodlands and Yishun - over the next few weeks, and progressively scale up operations to more areas,” he added.
“Crow shooting will complement our existing multi-pronged management efforts - including trapping, nest removal, and reducing food sources,” he said.
The minister said NParks had implemented strict safety protocols for shootings. These include cordons and clear signage at shooting zones and access points to advise the public to keep away.
“Auxiliary police officers will also be deployed on-site to support operations and ensure public safety,” said Mr Chee.
He urged the community to avoid feeding pest birds and properly dispose of food scraps.
RISE IN CASES
Crow shooting was discontinued six years ago after homes near the operations were struck by pellets from shotguns wielded by auxiliary police officers.
Singapore continued to manage the crow population through measures such as trapping and removing crows, removing their nests, and stepped-up efforts to reduce human sources of food.
However, these measures proved inadequate on their own, said Mr Chee in February.
According to the minister, the Municipal Services Office received about 15,000 crow-related feedback in 2025 - three times more than in 2020.
Reports of crow attacks also increased by fourfold to more than 2,000 cases over the same period.
NParks removed close to 9,000 crow nests islandwide last year, up from over 600 in 2021.
The number of crows trapped and removed also rose from more than 1,800 in 2021 to over 13,000 in 2025.
House crows are not native to Singapore and are an invasive species, posing a threat to local biodiversity, according to NParks.
Able to adapt easily to urban surroundings, they are particularly protective of their young and may attack when they sense that their young are threatened.
