Live and let live

Councillor Peter Hume's Riverview Community Update - July 2010 attempts to tackle the "problem" of crows roosting in urban areas. I believe his article is a response to an open letter from a local resident that is posted on the Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) web site.

The original letter makes a number of claims relating to problems presented by the crow population in Riverview Park. among these are the menace to health, property damage, noise, bird feeders, their affect on the rest of the bird population and the threat to air ambulances flying into the Ottawa General hospital. Unfortunately most of these claims are inaccurate and misguided.

I question that crows are a menace to the health of the community, actually the presence of a healthy crow population in the area is a good sign. These birds are scavengers that help control the local rodent population.

I have never seen crows pecking gravel off roof shingles as this letter writer claims. However, I have seen squirrels do extensive damage to the trees in my backyard by denuding branched of leaves, causing the limbs to die. They also invade bird feeders much more commonly than crows do. Potential property damage from bird droppings is largely caused by pigeons, and pigeons tend to stay around the neighborhood all day in pursuit of food.

The loud noise periods from crows are at sunrise when they assemble for their daytime excursions and sunset when they return to roost. The noise they make as individual birds is no different to that presented by other predatory birds like bluejays or gulls. Crows are fascinating social animals and they are very interesting to watch. It is particularly fascinating to watch the way they raise and protect their young.

Sitting in our backyard on a summer day used to feel like being in a peaceful oasis; this is no longer the case. Over the 13 years that we have lived on the north side of the General Campus, a significant increase in noise levels has resulted from ongoing development of the Ottawa Hospital Lands; not only from construction but also from the increased ambient noise levels resulting from the expansion. This can only get worse if the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC) is developed. It will also further threaten the crow and other wildlife populations as a large number of trees will likely be removed.

I have seldom seen songbirds scared away by crows. Other wildlife in the area, such as squirrels and pigeons, are far more intrusive and destructive to local gardens and bird feeders.

Regarding the air ambulance problem, it is unfortunate that the helcopter landing site is located in a very restricted area that is encompassed by hospital buildings and colse trees. It might be better if the helipad was located slightly away from the hospital complex as it is on the Civic Campus site.