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African Review Found Different Impact Emphases in House Crow and Red-billed Quelea Studies

Red-billed queleas gathered in a tree in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Conservation · Management

A 2026 review comparing the invasive house crow (Corvus splendens) and the native red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea) across Africa found distinctly different patterns in the research on their impacts. The authors included 59 African studies on socio-ecological and economic effects, control methods and public attitudes.

Research on red-billed queleas made up most of the reviewed literature and focused largely on crop losses, economic effects and control. House crow studies were fewer but covered a broader range of ecological, social and economic impacts. Reported effects included predation and harassment of native birds, competition with other species, impacts on lizards in Tanzania and the potential carriage of pathogens.

The two species could not be compared with one common metric

The authors could not compare the two species directly using one common numerical measure because the included studies reported impacts in very different ways and quantitative data were inconsistent. They therefore compared how frequently different types of impact were reported. House crow research was concentrated particularly in coastal and East African areas, while studies of red-billed queleas were spread more broadly across western, eastern and southern Africa.

Control methods ranged from traditional to technological

Control methods for both birds ranged from traditional capture and scaring to chemical control and newer technologies. The authors found that existing methods remained insufficiently effective and noted that poisons can kill non-target species. They call for more sustainable management that combines improved control methods with community involvement and attention to legal, ethical and public-health considerations.

Sources and image credit

  1. Athumani, P. C., Safari, I., Mbise, F. P., & Mmbaga, N. E. (2026). Comparison of socio-ecological and economic impact and control techniques of the invasive Indian house crow (Corvus splendens) and the red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea) in Africa: A scoping review. Discover Conservation, 3, 12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44353-026-00083-1

Image: Bernard DUPONT / Wikimedia Commons — red-billed queleas (Quelea quelea) gathered in a tree in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa, 20 November 2018. Illustrative photograph, not from the study. · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

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