Crows are a common sight around us. In spring, their actions can actually cause power outages. Yesterday, the Shinkansen bullet train was also stopped. Disney’s popular attractions suffered unexpected damage. Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture.
It’s a “dreamland” that adults and children can enjoy. Visitor: “Isn’t it sad? The crows…” The long golden hair of Disney character Rapunzel has been torn off by crows. Rapunzel’s friend, the white horse Maximus, has suffered similar damage. An expert says…
Hajime Matsubara, Project Associate Professor, University Museum, University of Tokyo: “It’s all material for their nest. They do it at zoos too, and in Nara Park, they perch on the backs of deer and pluck out their fur.” Crows build their nests from March to April. Reporter: “A crow’s nest… Oh, here it comes.” The animal hair is placed in the center of the nest so that the eggs don’t get cold. A crow approaches and crouches down. It appears to be incubating eggs. Looking from below, it can be seen that the nest, except for the center, is made up of a large number of hangers. A nearby resident says, “A crow’s nest? Sorry, I don’t know. (Q. Can you look up?) Oh, there it is. Ah, there it is!” But why would they build a nest on a utility pole?
Hajime Matsubara, Project Associate Professor at the University Museum, University of Tokyo, says, “(The top of the utility pole) is stable. It doesn’t shake. It’s high enough. There are almost no animals that climb up to a place like that.” This nest on top of the utility pole is causing a “serious problem.” “Bang, bang, bang!” Suddenly, sparks fly violently from the utility pole. This is footage taken last year in Yamaguchi Prefecture. You can see that the traffic light is out. It’s a “power outage.” The area was in a commotion for a while, but the power was restored in about two hours. The cause was that the crow’s nest had come into contact with the equipment. Yesterday afternoon, the Tohoku Shinkansen stopped. A crow’s nest on a utility pole near Omiya Station was causing a risk of power outage, so it was removed. This is an experimental video made by the power company.
Power lines are normally protected from short circuits by “wire covers,” but if tree branches or hangers used in crow nests get inserted into the gaps in the wire covers, a short circuit can occur. The system is designed to stop power transmission for safety when this is detected. So the power company… Reporter: “They are just about to start removing the crow’s nest.” Worker: “We’re removing the crow’s nest.” There are about 3,000 crow nest removals in Tokyo Electric Power Company’s service area every year. It is said that there are more than 20,000 in Chubu Electric Power Company and Tohoku Electric Power Company’s service areas. There are 854 power outages nationwide each year caused by animals, including crows.
A representative from Tokyo Electric Power Grid said, “You might think they’d give up if you removed the nest once, but even if you remove it, they’ll work hard to build it again during the egg-laying season, and we’ve had to deal with the same nest in one location about three times.” Power companies are scrambling to gather information, such as by offering digital gifts to people who send in photos of the nests. Furthermore, as the chicks start raising their young in earnest, there are other things to watch out for besides “power outages.”
Hajime Matsubara, Project Associate Professor at the University Museum, University of Tokyo, said, “They will threaten people if they get too close, and if you don’t notice their threat, a particularly aggressive crow will kick you in the head.” This shows the parent crows’ desperate attempts to protect their chicks. In fact, last year too… Men being attacked: “Ouch!!” “Whoa!!” Reporter being attacked: “Whoa, that hurts!!” Hajime Matsubara, Project Associate Professor at the University Museum, University of Tokyo: “When the crow’s voice gets hoarse and it starts to sound like ‘caw,’ you can assume that there are chicks nearby, and it’s safer to get away as quickly as possible.” It seems that we need to pay even more attention to the behavior of crows in the spring.
