Rome scares off its starlings

Every winter, millions of starlings migrate from northern Europe to Italy in search of warmer weather. The ballet-like performances of the starling flocks are magical.

One spectator is Eva Osuna, visiting from Spain.

Eva Osuna: "It's beautiful, it's very beautiful. It's the first time I've seen it. I had heard about it, but it's the first time I've seen it."

Although the aerial displays are stunning to observe, there's a negative side to their presence. The starlings sleep in massive numbers in the city's tree-lined avenues, and the sheer quantity of droppings covering the pavements is distasteful, as well as the odour.

Such is the problem that, even on a clear day, it's not uncommon to see Romans walking along the streets with umbrellas as protection against the birds. To fight the problems, city authorities have resorted to sounds and lights to force the birds to separate into smaller groups.

Valentina De Tommaso works for Fauna Urbis, the organisation charged with dispersing the birds.

Valentina De Tommaso: "We act on their fear reflex, by using their own alarm call so that they move to less populated places. Because their presence on the trees makes cars dirty, the ground dirty, disturbs passers-by, not to mention the noise that they make."

Using the birds' own alarm call works without causing them any distress, simply telling them that this is a dangerous place to hang around.

As starling populations are believed to have hit one million in Rome alone this year, this mission will be a struggle. The question of the birds' annual stay is one for debate, as Francesco Fusco, local resident, indicates.

Francesco Fusco: "Walking under a tree where there are starlings is not ideal, and it can cause problems. But indeed, if the city is a reference point for these birds, because it is a stop on their migration route, then they have the right to stop here."

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