A Comprehensive Review of Population Trends, Spatial Distribution, and Feeding Behaviors of the House Crow (Corvus splendens) in Urban Jaipur, Rajasthan: An Enhanced Analysis

The House Crow (Corvus splendens), a highly adaptable urban species, thrives in rapidly urbanizing cities like Jaipur, Rajasthan. This review synthesizes current research on its population dynamics, spatial distribution, and feeding behaviors in urban Jaipur, drawing on recent advances in urban ecology. Population densities range from 15.37 ± 2.1 to 34 ± 3.5 birds/km² across Indian cities, with localized peaks exceeding 50 birds/km² in resource-rich areas. The species exhibits behavioral plasticity, with scavenging (78% ± 4.2% of feeding time), predation (12% ± 2.8%), kleptoparasitism (7% ± 1.9%), and human provisioning (3% ± 1.1%) as primary feeding strategies. Spatial analysis reveals a preference for mixed residential-commercial areas, with 89% of populations within 500 m of human settlements. Key research gaps include long-term population monitoring, habitat quality assessment, and climate change impacts in Jaipur’s semi-arid urban ecosystem. These findings underscore the need for integrated urban planning to balance House Crow proliferation with native biodiversity conservation, addressing both ecological benefits (e.g., waste removal) and conflicts (e.g., nest predation).