For years, Kenya’s hospitality industry has faced an unusual challenge from Indian house crows. These birds, migrating from as far as Zanzibar and Comoros, have become a persistent nuisance along Kenya’s coastal regions, causing losses to businesses with their tendency to steal and disrupt activities.
According to africa.businessinsider.com, as reported by the East African, the Indian house crows continue to remain relentless in swarming the Kenyan Coast due to climate change.
These birds which are known to stow away in ships have even become a danger to the other native species of birds on Kenya’s coast by stealing from their nests and killing their young. Some of the worst hits include the Scaly Babblers, Mouse-coloured Sunbird, Weavers, Waxbills and aquatic birds found along the coastal region.
Since their initial sighting in Mombasa in 1947, Indian House Crows (Corvus Splendens) have been encroaching on Kenya.
READ: Africa: Kenya Government Aims to Eliminate One Million House Crows by Year-End to Protect Native Birds and Tourism
The crows have become such a problem that Kenyan authorities have hired a company to poison them, owing to the fact that they now steal food from hotel guests, as opposed to feeding on garbage.
As reported by MSN, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) months ago touted plans to eradicate 1 million of these crows by December 2024.
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The KWS Director General’s representative, Prof. Charles Musyoki, Director of Wildlife and Community Service, detailed the program’s high level of public interest and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to solving the issue.
“House crows are invasive alien birds that have been a nuisance to the public for decades, significantly affecting local bird populations by driving them from their natural habitats,” KWS said.
Considering that they have no natural predators in Kenya and are quick to adjust to new habitats, their population has grown significantly as a consequence of garbage mounds, which serve as their primary food supply.
As their name implies, the birds are thought to have originated in India. They were first observed in Mombasa in 1947, but their current population within the Coast environment is believed to be two million.
Currently, they are expensive to simply eradicate and they have proven difficult to manage. The Kenya Association for Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC) chairman for Kilifi, Maureen Awour, pointed out that a kilogram of poison costs Ksh800,000 ($6,164).
Asides the local indigenous species of bird in the region, and hoteliers, the crows have also become a nuisance to business owners.
Food vendor Lukresia Kiamba of Mombasa claimed she had to move her stand because the birds were stealing her meat and fish. “At times I could lose fish or meat worth more than Ksh500 ($3.85),” Ms Kiamba stated.
Also a Hotelier named Sam Ikwaye revealed that the Indian house crows are alien to the region and carry diseases. “If you are into chicken farming, you might lose all your chicks,” he stated.
