Rome’s Bird Problem is Similar to Rochester’s– Only Worse

Rochester's continuing battle with the crows, who return to the Med City each fall and then create a big mess downtown, has been going on for several years. But we're not the only city dealing with such a problem. Check out what's going on in Rome, Italy.

Yes, Rome is dealing with a bird problem of their own. But while I've read the crow population that's been causing all the mess here in Rochester is estimated to be at around 30 or 40 thousand birds, in Rome, they're dealing with the mess caused by starlings, not crows. And the flock causing Rome's mess is estimated to be millions, not thousands.

According to this Daily Beast story, Rome is pretty much covered in a "slick sheen of sh*t covering everything from sidewalks and cobblestones to churches, park benches, and café tables. And it is more than just an annoyance. It has become a death trap causing scores of car and moped accidents and nearly 100 fractures and sprains attributed to pedestrians falling on the slippery stuff."

It all starts when the European starlings which, on their yearly migration, make a stop in Rome and start to snack on the native olive crop-- which then turns into bird droppings and pretty much coats everything. And this year, it's become even more than just a nuisance.

The story continues, "The crisis, which has been brewing for more than a month, came to a head over the weekend, when the first serious winter rains fell on the Italian capital, making the gluey guano even more treacherous. The city of Rome even closed the busy thoroughfare that runs along the Tiber River for more than 10 hours so crews could sand and scrape the slime after more than a dozen accidents were reported in less than an hour as scooters slid and pedestrians plummeted to the pavement."

Yikes. That's a lot of bird poop. Thankfully, our crow problem, while still messy at times, kind of pales in comparison. Check out this video that shows how the Romans are trying to combat the starlings. Looks kind of familiar to the tactics used here in Minnesota...