Rome enlists American falcons to hunt starlings befouling Eternal City

Officials hope Texan birds of prey will scare off migratory flocks, as bird droppings make roads slippery and ruin landmarks

In one of the most adrenaline-fuelled moments of Spectre, the new James Bond movie, 007 races along the banks of Rome's Tiber river and makes a dramatic escape from his would-be assassin.

But if the high-speed chase was recreated today, Bond's Aston Martin would almost certainly skid on the droppings of countless migrating starlings that have come to roost in the trees lining the river. His suit almost certainly would not survive unstained.