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LEVEL B1+

Shadowing the newsreader

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Once a year, millions of birds known as starlings travel south from northern Europe to spend the winter in Italy's gentler climate.

Eva Osuna's travelled from Spain to see them.

In the skies above Rome, the starlings' huge displays attract attention.

But not everything about the birds is attractive.

The starlings sleep in Rome's trees and leave enormous amounts of bird poo on the ground, which also smells awful.

Even when the weather's fine, it's possible to see people walking down the city streets holding umbrellas.

This acts as a protection against the birds.

One operation, named Fauna Urbis, has been asked by the council to deal with the problem.

Valentina De Tommaso, an employee, explains how and why they separate the birds.

They produce a sound similar to the birds' own danger call, which doesn't harm them.

It simply warns them they should leave.

This is a big responsibility.

Starling numbers have reached approximately one million in Rome this year.

The issue's a topic for discussion among city inhabitants like Francesco Fusco, who can see both sides.

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