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House crow (Corvus splendens)

The house crow is an invasive pest overseas, and ship-assisted arrivals are a biosecurity concern for Australia. If it establishes, its adaptable feeding and nesting habits could bring pressure on native wildlife, urban amenity and poultry biosecurity.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, bird.

Native to: South Asia, including the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka.

Established in: NSW, VIC, WA.

Other names: Indian crow, Grey-necked crow, Ceylon crow, Colombo crow.

Best time to act: Check ports, rubbish areas and urban roost sites year-round, and report suspected birds as soon as they are seen.

Identification

  • A medium-sized crow with a stout black bill, black head, wings and tail.
  • A broad grey area covers the nape, neck, breast and upper back, forming a clear contrast with the black head and wings.
  • It often feeds on scraps and rubbish around people and buildings.
  • Its harsh cawing call and willingness to forage close to people can help identify it.
  • Look-alike: Australian ravens and crows are all-black, whereas the house crow has a conspicuous grey neck and upper breast.

Where it lives

In Australia, any arrival is most likely to be noticed around ports, coastal settlements, rubbish tips and other urban places where food and roosting sites are available.

Why it matters

  • Where it becomes established, house crows can compete with native birds and prey on their eggs and chicks.
  • They scavenge food waste and can damage crops or threaten poultry by taking feed or young birds.
  • Large roosts can create noise and accumulate faecal droppings on buildings and near homes.
  • House crows can carry pathogens, so their presence near people, poultry and other birds is a potential health and biosecurity concern.

How it spreads

  • House crows can travel as stowaways on ships, and people have also introduced them beyond their native range.
  • They exploit food scraps, rubbish tips and other urban food sources; established populations can then expand through breeding and movement between nearby sites.

Control methods

  • Treat any suspected house crow as an urgent identification and biosecurity matter: photograph it if safe, note the location and report it promptly to the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency.
  • Do not attempt to catch, kill or disturb the bird or its nest unless directed and authorised by the relevant authorities.
  • If a response is required, use trained personnel and approved, humane removal methods, and reduce access to food waste by securing bins and managing rubbish.
  • Continue surveillance after any removal to check for additional birds, nests or signs of breeding.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Keep food scraps and rubbish contained so they do not attract scavenging birds.
  • Where droppings are present, use gloves, avoid raising dust when cleaning, and wash hands and equipment afterwards.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): National priority exotic pest. On the National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases, so any new detection should be reported straight away.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Prohibited dealing. All dealings are prohibited in NSW, so it must not be kept, bred, sold, moved or released. Report any sighting to NSW DPIRD. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Prohibited pest animal. It is a prohibited pest animal in Victoria. The Victorian Government is responsible for controlling it, so report any sighting to Agriculture Victoria.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Prohibited entrant. Wildlife that is not native to the NT is a prohibited entrant, so you need an NT permit to bring it in or keep it. Report any wild sighting to the NT Government.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources