Flamingos have recently invaded north-eastern Italy, particularly in Ferrara province, where they damage rice crops while foraging for molluscs and insects in flooded fields. Farmers are struggling with significant production losses, including reports of up to 90% in affected areas. To combat this, farmers patrol day and night using loud noises to scare the birds, but the flamingos often simply relocate to other fields. Their presence in the area is linked to drought-driven migration from their previous nesting grounds in southern Spain and coastal Italy.
The flamingos use their webbed feet to stir up the soil and snatch molluscs, algae or insects from the shallow water, causing collateral damage to rice crops.
Farmers in north-eastern Italy are patrolling day and night to scare away the flamingos, using truck horns and gas cannons, although the birds often just move to another paddy.
Enrico Fabbri, a local grower, reported production losses of as much as 90% in some planted areas due to the flamingos ravaging the crops.
Flamingos have settled in flooded fields in Ferrara province after drought in southern Spain pushed them to find new nesting grounds farther east.
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