It seems at least one hawker centre in Singapore has taken a new approach to keeping birds away from food waste.

At a tray return point at a hawker centre, there are automatic shutters that seal the racks of returned trays and food scraps, preventing the unwanted feathered visitors from feeding on leftovers, according to a video posted to HardwareZone.com.

Quite creative, if you ask us.

This is just the latest in a series of bird control measures, which have included design tweaks such as concealed pipes and ducts to reduce potential perching spots.

But not everyone is convinced the shutters will work for long, with one even citing the intelligence of crows.

“I won’t be surprised if crows figure out the sensor and have the blinds open for them,” read one comment.

A netizen who claimed to have seen the same setup being used at ABC Brickworks Food Centre said it wasn’t foolproof either: “Some birds still flew in as the curtain closed, making it look like a bird cage”.

For now, the National Environment Agency (NEA) is urging patrons of hawker centres not to feed birds, and to properly dispose of food waste as part of the ongoing effort to keep hawker centres clean and bird-free.

Photos: hardwarezone.com