Daily life in the Montesacro neighborhood, in the north-east of Rome, has taken on almost cinematic contours that closely resemble the atmospheres of Alfred Hitchcock. Since mid-October, the urban quadrant of Prati Fiscali has been under constant siege by hundreds of starlings.
From 5pm every afternoon, the birds with black plumage and sharp beaks darken the sky and en masse occupy the antennas and foliage of the trees located between Piazzale Jonio, Viale Jonio and Viale Pantelleria, displacing even the green parrots that previously populated the area. The massive presence of the birds has transformed streets and sidewalks into an uninterrupted expanse of guano, altering the habits of the local population.
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Citizens are in fact forced to carry out a real reorganization of the area’s traffic: from 5pm the inevitable rush begins to move vehicles away from branches to avoid finding the bodywork completely covered the next day. Those who turn to car wash facilities must face increased fees to remove encrustations. Even simple journeys on foot to supermarkets have become an obstacle course: pedestrians walk around with open umbrellas to shelter from the rain of excrement, facing the terrible stench and the strong risk of slipping on the asphalt resin made slimy by the excrement, while on social media the presence of bird carcasses is also reported.
Ama’s acoustic deterrents and extraordinary washes
To deal with the health and hygiene emergency, the Environmental Protection department of Rome Capital has appointed a specialized company to start a bloodless removal plan. Last October 22nd, the acoustic deterrents based on the distress call system were activated, i.e. loudspeakers that reproduce the alarm calls of the species to scare them, flanked by beams of light and luminous deterrents aimed at the plants. However, the effectiveness of the method requires patience: the animals tend to take off and then immediately reposition themselves on the same branches.
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The Environment Councilor of the Third Municipality, Matteo Zocchi, explained that the mechanism of the acoustic deterrents works slowly but progressively, as the specimens must gradually assimilate the danger of the site, recalling that the same procedure has already given positive results two years ago in the Talenti district. In a joint note with the president of Municipality III, Paolo Emilio Marchionne, the activation of extraordinary cleaning of the road surface managed by Ama through the use of high pressure washers was confirmed. The cleaning operations and monitoring of bird flows will continue in the coming days to ensure the safety of the road surface.
