People who don’t understand better or who dislike wild animals usually think that corvids (but also pigeons and gulls) are a “sanitary nuisance”.
According to the state, a sanitary nuisance is the following: (source: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningsamling/halsoskyddslag-19821080_sfs-1982-10)
“Withsanitary nuisancerefers to a disturbance which may be harmful to human health and which is not minor or completely temporary”
But are corvids then? The answer isNO. Of course, an animal can carry diseases that are contagious, but in almost all cases it only spreads to other animals of the same species. The chance that you e.g. getting sick is almost zero, as long as you don’t eat a sandwich that a bird has just pooped on. You need to get it in the mouth, or the eye because it could possibly become a problem.
But honestly, it applies to everything and everyone! If a person who has not washed their hands holds a plate that I then also hold, then we have exactly the same situation, but worse, because a disease from one person jumps to another person more quickly. Most animal diseases cannot jump from animals to humans.
A Swedish research group has concluded that the chances of a person being infected by a bird are almost non-existent.
“Previous research tends to overrate the role of geese and swans as disease vectors; we do not find any evidence that they are significant transmitters to humans or livestock of any of the pathogens considered in this review”
source:https://sci-hub.se/http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008686.2017.1300450
But why do you call corvids and other wild animals a sanitary nuisance in municipalities?
It is simply stupidity. There are plenty of people who do not respect nature and who see wildlife as a burden. It can be people who love their dog or cat, but don’t see that another species can also be loved by a human.
It is up to all of us to spread information about wild animals and thereby show respect for our neighbors in nature.
One municipality that has realized this is Lund:
Source:Wild animals, birds and protective hunting – Lund municipality
