As the crow flies: how Tokyo’s 25-year pest purge ended in triumph

For years, Tokyo residents woke to the sound of crows ripping open rubbish bags, the city’s backstreets strewn with the remains of last night’s dinners. Today those scenes have mostly disappeared, thanks to a 25-year campaign to curb the crow population.

City officials and bird experts say the success stems from a mix of civic discipline, careful waste management and a willingness among residents to change their everyday habits.

In the 1990s, soaring numbers of the winged scavengers turned Tokyo’s alleys into feeding grounds.

Drawn to plastic garbage sacks left outside restaurants overnight, the crows learned to rip them open and feast before morning collection. Residents quickly tired of the mess and the menace.

The large, intelligent birds also became increasingly aggressive during breeding season, swooping at passers-by and raiding the nests of smaller species.