The Crow

Over the weekend Tokyo experienced the first taste of summer. In celebration hundreds, if not thousands, of people streamed into Tokyo's Ueno park to enjoy the sunshine and warm temperatures. Among them, a companion and I sat with our purchased bag of chicken when a large crow swept down and eyed one of the bags sitting on the low bench with us. With little hesitation, it hopped once toward the bag, snatching it in its black beak and leaped into a low flight to a spot about 30 meters away. There it tore open the paper bag, strewing pieces of fried chicken around, before taking the largest in its beak and flying off. The whole affair took such little time that the only thing to do was say, "Hey! That crow stole our chicken!"

I think this particular crow was contemplating taking the cat as his next meal.

Tokyo's crows have a deserved reputation for aggressiveness, noise, general filthiness. So bad did the problem get that in the previous election cycle (not the most recent), Governor Ishihara made a reduction of the birds part of a campaign promise. His program to curb the birds, however, failed and actually resulted in a reported increase of the pests. For another example of the birds' ill behavior, go here.