Rome closes roads due to slippery bird droppings

Authorities closed a number of roads in Rome after the first heavy rainfall in some time dislodged starling guano that had been building up in the plane trees that line the Tiber river.

Via dei Fori Imperiali, Rome. Image by Shadowgate / CC BY 2.0

The birds return to their roosts in Rome every night after gorging on olives during the daytime, and the oily excrement produced by this diet, combined with a slush of rotting leaves, led to a hazardous ‘slimy fungal mush’ that coated the streets. The roads were closed for most of Saturday, whilst refuse workers hosed them down. Read more: theguardian.com