As the sun sets over central Rome, five figures in white overalls move under the trees. They wave speakers emitting a mix of sharp cries, and the birds rise into the air. Every winter, the skies over Italy's capital are filled with the mesmerising sight of thousands of starlings swooping and diving in unison. But when they stop to rest on the trees, their droppings coat the pavements and cars below -- prompting the city authorities, every year, to try to scare them away.

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