Opinion

Living in the Company of Crows

By DAVID ZOPPETTI

We live on the top floor of an apartment building in Tokyo and are fortunate enough to have terraces on three sides of our flat. They are great for relaxing in the sun, drying laundry, airing out futons or enjoying a barbecue and a glass of beer with friends on a summer evening.

However, lately our little "rooftop paradise" is turning into a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie "The Birds."

Have you noticed how the number of crows has increased these past few years? They used to dwell only in big parks like Yoyogi-koen, but now they're everywhere. Japan might have a low birthrate problem, but it is certainly not suffering from a lack of black-feathered ravens.

According to a recent survey, there are more than 20,000 of them in Tokyo alone. Not much compared to the human population, I agree.

But when they circle and screech overhead like hungry vultures, or spy at you from the vantage point of a close-by TV antenna, it makes you feel a little uncomfortable.

What attracts them of course, is the heap of raw garbage we produce in everyday life. The fact that there are no falcons or eagles (the natural enemies of crows) around also makes the place an attractive haven for them. The half-transparent garbage bags we use might be further invitation, as their content is visible from the outside.

People finally started to cover these with nets in an attempt to keep the scavengers away. But their sharp and pointed beaks usually find a way in. On garbage morning, the streets often look like a dump, and the stench is unbearable.

Crows raise their chicks from spring to early summer and are known to become aggressive during this period. There have been incidents of crows attacking people. Crow specialists (yes, there are crow specialists!) advise not to get within 10 meters of a nest and, if a crow threatens to attack, to stare it down. Stare down a crow! Easier said than done. I think I'd hide under the table instead.

So what should we do? To the Tlingit Indians of Alaska, the raven is the bird of creation, which brought the essence of life to all things. I have often seen flocks of them majestically soaring in the sub-Arctic skies during my travels to Alaska. However, Tokyo's black invaders have nothing in common with these wild birds living in their natural habitat.

As long as we make garbage available to these city dwellers, they will keep increasing.

The expression "to eat crow" means to put up with an embarrassing situation. In the present case, actually eating crow might be the solution.... Just kidding. Don't worry, I am a harmless animal lover. But let's give the problem a thought. I suggest we all try to put out our garbage at the last minute before the truck comes by. Then the crows might decide to go back to the parks and "Birds" will remain a cinema fiction.

Shukan ST: Aug. 7, 1998

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