Flamingos have been causing problems for rice farmers in northeastern Italy by destroying crops and searching for food in their rice fields. Flamingos are relatively new to the area, where they have settled in flooded fields that are used to cultivate rice for risotto. Although they are not directly targeting the rice, they stir up the soil and eat mollusks, algae, and insects, causing collateral damage. Farmers have been trying to scare the birds away by honking horns, banging barrels, and firing gas cannons, but the noise usually only sends them to another nearby field. One farmer, Enrico Fabbri, has reported production losses of up to 90% in some of his fields. The flamingos appear to have come from former nesting grounds in the nearby Comacchio valleys and have been in the area since 2000. Experts are unsure why these flamingos started seeking food farther inland but suggest several humane solutions to fend them off, such as planting tall trees or hedges or reducing water levels in freshly planted paddies.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/12/risotto-rice-paddies-flamingoes-ferrara-italy
