Rome ran into an unusual problem: tens of thousands of starlings migrating south for the winter are making a mess all over the city.
For several weeks now the birds have been gathering in huge flocks in the Italian capital, unleashing a veritable rain of excrement on streets, sidewalks, cars and people.
Locals come out with umbrellas, while car washes drive up prices as more and more cars arrive covered in a thick layer of "bird manure".
At times like this, you can't help but think how lucky we are that cows don't fly.