PUBLISHED ONSeptember 22, 2026 9:10 AMBYKoh Xing YingResidents near Tampines MRT station have been troubled by hundreds of crows in the area, with their persistent cawing raising noise concerns and leaving some wary of encounters with them.
When reporters from Lianhe Zaobao visited the area on Sept 13 at about 5.30pm, they observed that trees in the area were pruned, but their dense foliage still provided potential roosting and foraging areas for the birds.
By about 7pm, crows in large numbers could be seen perched on rooftops and in the trees.
When startled by passing activity, hundreds of them reportedly take flight, circling overhead in what residents described as a "black cloud".
One resident, who wished to be known only as Wu, 68, said the crows have been gathering in the area for nearly a decade, with their numbers appearing to have increased over the years.
"Every evening, I can see dozens of crows flying around outside my window," he said, adding that he is wary of getting too close to the birds.
Another resident, Li, 60, said: "As soon as there is any unusual noise, the crows will be startled and fly away in flocks, but they will return shortly afterwards."
Other residents estimated that as many as 500 to 600 crows could sometimes gather in the area.
Beyond the noise, residents also complained about bird droppings landing on clothes and vehicles.
Xie, 47, said he often finds droppings on clothes hung out to dry along the corridor and in the kitchen.
Despite measures such as installing crow traps and pruning tree branches to address the issue, residents said the results have been patchy.
Responding to media queries, NParks group director of wildlife management How Choon Beng said the agency was aware of residents' concern over the growing crow population in the vicinity of Block 242 and Tampines Community Plaza.
How said that NParks received about 35 feedback cases a year on average relating to crow-related issues in the area from 2023 to 2025.
It has received more than 30 such cases so far this year, he said.
"Based on NParks' observations, the area around Block 242 serves as a pre-roosting site, where crows gather before moving to nearby roosting locations such as Tampines Community Plaza and Tampines Skate Park," said How.
NParks said that it would continue working closely with Tampines Town Council to regularly review the effectiveness of the various crow management measures implemented in the area.
AsiaOne has reached out to Tampines Town Council for comments.
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