Killing over 154,000 birds in six months might sound like the headline of a campaign against nature. In reality, for many Kenyan environmentalists, it is exactly the opposite: an operation to restore habitat for native birds and restore balance to an ecosystem disrupted by the introduction of an invasive species.

From Lamu to Diani, the ‘Crows No More’ project – one of the largest wildlife control projects ever undertaken along the Kenyan coast – continues its battle against the Indian crow, an alien species that threatens biodiversity, tourism and agriculture. Initial results show the return of many native species.

In the first six months of 2026, the initiative launched by the environmental organisation ‘A Rocha Kenya’ in Watamu culled 154,399 house crows along the Kenyan coast, an average of over 850 birds per day. This is the figure that emerges from the half-yearly report published by A Rocha itself, which coordinates the programme alongside dozens of volunteers, public bodies, hotels and local associations.

For those living on the coast, the house crow (Corvus splendens), also known as the Indian crow, is not just any bird. And even for those holidaying on the Kenyan coast, the incessant cawing of these rather unwelcome and hygienically hazardous birds has now become part of the landscape. Yet they once did not exist at all between Malindi, Watamu and Mombasa. Today, they have become one of the most serious environmental problems along the coast, and some have decided to tackle them with a systematic plan that, inevitably, is proving controversial.

Probably arriving on merchant ships from Asia over a century ago, the species has multiplied to become one of the most damaging invasive species in East Africa. It preys on small birds and their nests, feeds on eggs and chicks, plunders crops, causes problems in hotels and restaurants, and poses a risk to public health, as it is often found in rubbish dumps and abattoirs.

It is precisely to combat this invasion that Crows No More was launched, a project promoted by A Rocha Kenya, an international organisation committed to nature conservation which has been present in Watamu for many years through the Mwamba Field Study Centre. The initiative brings together tour operators, residents, researchers, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Tourism Board, the Mombasa Tourism Council and numerous volunteers with a specific aim: to drastically reduce the population of invasive crows without harming native wildlife.

The project now extends from Lamu to Diani, passing through Malindi, Watamu, Kilifi, Vipingo, Mombasa and even along Mombasa Road as far as the Tsavo area. Specialised teams locate roosting sites, monitor the crows’ movements and organise poisoned bait operations using the product Starlicide, subsequently collecting the carcasses to prevent them from being scattered in the environment. The project also relies on a detailed monitoring system updated weekly.

The report highlights results that the organisers describe as encouraging. In Vipingo, where control measures have now been ongoing for two years, crows have almost disappeared from certain areas, and kites and vultures that had previously abandoned the area have returned. In Malindi, the historic roosts have been drastically reduced in size, and work is now shifting to the countryside around Gongoni, Madunguni, Vitengeni and Sabaki, where crows continue to cause problems for farmers and poultry farms.

Watamu and Diani have also become fully involved in the programme. On the South Coast, a new team has been set up with the support of the South Coast Residents’ Association and several hotels, whilst in Watamu, monitoring has been extended as far as Matsangoni and the Mida Creek area. In June alone, the new Diani task force collected 718 carcasses following its first coordinated operation.

Behind these results lies a significant financial effort. Between January and June, the project raised over 2.7 million Kenyan shillings in donations from private individuals, hotels, businesses and local sponsors. However, according to the coordinators themselves, this figure remains insufficient to cover all the areas affected by the crow invasion, to the extent that fundraising continues to be one of the programme’s main challenges.

The culling of over 150,000 birds may raise concerns, particularly amongst those who automatically associate environmental conservation with the protection of every animal species. Yet the case of the domestic crow serves as a reminder that conservation also means defending the natural balance disrupted by human activity. For the environmentalists at A Rocha Kenya, success is not measured by the number of crows culled, but by the return of bee-eaters, birds of prey, small passerines and all that biodiversity which for years had been stifled by an invader arriving from the sea. And the first signs along the Kenyan coast seem to prove them right.