Could House Crows Corvus splendens roost at only one site within eThekwini Municipality?

Abstract

House Crows Corvus splendens are one of the world’s most invasive bird species. It is originally from southern Asia but currently invading parts of South Africa including Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. Its distribution across Durban has been studied to better understand and control the species population within the eThekwini Municipality. House Crow surveys are conducted monthly by eThekwini Municipality’s Natural Resources Division officials in collaboration with South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) by driving and walking along the roads and recording every bird sighting. During surveys, roosting sites have been discovered in the central parts of the city where House Crows are most active due to the availability of foraging sites and preferred habitat for their survival The Common Myna Acridotheres tristis is an adaptable invasive passerine which is closely associated with human environments.