In one of the most adrenaline-fuelled moments of Spectre, the new James Bond movie, 007 races along the banks of Rome’s Tiber river and makes a dramatic escape from his would-be assassin.
But if the high-speed chase was recreated today, Bond’s Aston Martin would almost certainly skid on the droppings of countless migrating starlings that have come to roost in the trees lining the river. His suit almost certainly would not survive unstained.
Exasperated by the proliferation of bird faeces, the Roman authorities have sought to take matters into their own hands – not literally, of course.
“The biggest problem is the guano, there’s the risk the streets become very slippery,” said Sabrina Alfonsi, president of the central Rome municipality where the birds roost. They are attracted to the Eternal City due to its light, sleeping there after a day feeding on olive tree parasites in the countryside.
Alfonsi has sought new allies in the seasonal battle, bringing in five Texan falcons last week to terrorise the starlings. She described the three-day trial as a great success and will look into extending the use of falcons.
The move has been criticised by animal rights groups, who argue that the use of falcons does little to confront the problem. “They’re totally useless. The starlings have strategies for getting rid of them; when you see those beautiful formations of starlings, in reality they’re confusing the predators,” said Andrea Brutti, from Italy’s National Animal Protection Agency.
An alternative technique is to play recordings of starling distress calls, prompting them to scatter and move to less busy parts of the city. But this scheme has been delayed until December while firms compete for the lucrative contract, worth €40,000 (£28,000) in previous years.
Brutti has backed the loudspeakers over the falcons, arguing that a scientific approach must be taken to dealing with the birds, but ultimately he urged city dwellers to appreciate the natural wonder. “Live with the starlings and view this beautiful sight,” he said.
