Flying garbage disposal units (1 Viewer)

House crows seem more impatient these days. Their numbers are certainly growing and they seem to make cities cleaner, and harass locals more.

they even seem to destroy scores of smaller and much rarer birds. Their intellegence and organisation is a threat survival of all bird kind.

This seems unstopable, as they grow more and sparrows grow less, only hope seems less garbage.

What do you all think.

Hi Arunav

Is this problem specific to Mumbai or to the whole of india?

When I've been in Mumbai the number of crows has been remarkable and they clearly have been on the increase in recent years. Also the amount of refuse continues to increase although the authorities claim to be tackling it. Do you think that the massive decline in the number of vultures might have contributed to the increase in crows?

What evidence is there for your statement that they are destroying smaller birds?

Regards

Alf King said:

Hi Arunav

Is this problem specific to Mumbai or to the whole of india?

When I've been in Mumbai the number of crows has been remarkable and they clearly have been on the increase in recent years. Also the amount of refuse continues to increase although the authorities claim to be tackling it. Do you think that the massive decline in the number of vultures might have contributed to the increase in crows?

What evidence is there for your statement that they are destroying smaller birds?

Regards

Click to expand...

It seems really farfetched, but I have been asking the aquthorities about local migration influx of small birds. They say it has been decreasing sine the last 4 years, also the house swallow which migrates here about every winter from august to april, seem to leave early and arrive late, sometimes by about three months. Since I have been here(1995) i have not seen a single vulture here, although other birdwatchers keep saying they were here in great numbers about twenty years from now.

I have been observing house sparrows around. You might not belive it, but house crows have been eating the spparows, i have seen it thrice. Many magazines have also reported such incidents.

I have seen vultures in Mumbai and this was less than 20 years ago. Remember the use of the Towers of Silence was only discontinued in recent years.

I guess that what I was asking was if the predation of smaller species by crows was actually having an impact upon their poulations. I'm sure that the answer is currently unknown as I believe that no real population studies have been carried out in the city to date.

My other question is still extant, does this problem exist in other Indian cities too?

Regards,