At least 96,000 Indian crows killed in campaigns to eradicate them

Indian crows killed in Mombasa on 27/11/2025. [Benard Sanga, Standard]

At least 4,000 Indian crows have been killed in the last week in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale, taking the number eradicated to 96,000 since the campaigns started last year. 

Mombasa Tourism Council (MTC) chairman, Dr Sam Ikwaye, said yesterday 600 of the invasive birds were poisoned and killed in Mombasa after a tedious 14-day baiting process.

“The eradication of these birds is coordinated by A Rocha Kenya. It is a tedious process that takes up to 14 days to bait the birds using meat before they are poisoned,” said Ikwaye.

The stubborn birds that have affected the tourism sector and led to the collapse of the birding excursion were killed at Fort Jesus and Makadara Grounds.

The crows are also blamed for killing the native small birds, harassing tourists and spreading diseases at the coast because of their scavenging nature.

The coordinator of the programme, Mr Erick Kinoti of A Rocha, said in the last week, at least 4,000 Indian crows have been killed in Watamu in Kilifi and Kilifi and Mombasa and Diani in Kwale.

“We have killed 96,000 Indian crows in a year. We, however, estimate that the number could be higher, as some die on trees and even in caves and are not counted,” said Kinoti.

It is estimated that there are 800,000 Indian crows wreaking havoc on the coast. State and non-state actors say it will cost Sh10 million to reduce them to manageable numbers.

Tourism stakeholders say crows have killed the small native birds that attracted tourists who were keen on bird excursions. The birds also harass tourists by snatching food.

Other than killing the small native birds, the Indian crow is also blamed for the reduction of the population of the pied crow, the slightly smaller crow with a white chest and back belly.

“The Indian crow invades the nests of the pied crow and destroys the eggs. This has led to the drop of the population of these indigenous crows. In rural areas the Indian crow attacks calves and even babies left unattended,” said Kinoti.

Among the native bird species that face extinction due to attacks from the Indian crows are weavers and waxbills. The crows rip their nests apart while targeting eggs and chicks.

The birds are lured with meat to gather at various places near their roost sites, and then poison called 'starlicide' is administered.

The Indian Crow (Corvus splendens) was introduced to East Africa in 1891, in Zanzibar, to deal with domestic food waste. Over the years their population has swelled at the coast.  

Other accounts claim the birds arrived in Kenya in 1947.

A campaign of poisoning led by the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) started a year ago, although it has faced financial challenges as it requires a lot of meat to bait the birds.

Kinoti said that such effort was aborted 20 years ago after the government banned imports of the poison DRC-1339, better known as Starlicide.

With the focused approach brought by KWS, the Indian crows, described as an invasive pest, will be eradicated or brought down to manageable levels.

"KWS and A Rocha Kenya have given us a coordinated approach to eliminate the birds. We cannot work in isolation, as different teams did in Kilifi and Kwale, with disastrous results for our hotels," he said.

Dr Ikwaye said neighbouring countries, like Tanzania and Zanzibar, should also be involved to prevent the birds from returning to the Kenyan coast.

"If we don't act, our tourism industry will lose its unique appeal, and our beaches and outdoor attractions will suffer," he warned.