You Won't Believe the Unexpected 'Pests' Destroying Rice Crops in Italy

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You Won't Believe the Unexpected 'Pests' Destroying Rice Crops in Italy originally appeared on Parade.
The next time you find yourself indulging in a delicious plate of risotto, consider this: you may have unknowingly fought a flamingo for it.
In a plot twist no one could've seen coming—flamingos are causing extensive damage to rice crops in northeastern Italy as they scavenge for food of their own. But, interestingly, it isn't rice that they're after.
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The Associated Press was the first to report that farmers in Italy's Ferrara province are not just coping with flooded rice fields, but the unexpected "pests" they attract.
When we think of crop pests, we commonly think of rodents and insects, and maybe a few swooping birds looking for a bite, hence the need for scarecrows. But flamingos in the rice fields of Italy? It's safe to say 2025 is a mood.
The flamingos don't have their sights set on the rice itself, but rather the water currently covering it. They're looking for what lives in the shallow water—namely mollusks, algae or insects. The foraging process is disrupting the soil and, in turn, the rice crops.Because, yes, flamingos can fly. In fact, according to the American Bird Conservancy, all six of the world's flamingo species can fly. And they can move as fast as a car on your average surface street, flying about 35 miles per hour during short trips and 40 miles per hour or more on long-distance excursions. The more you know.
Currently the area's farmers are considering any and all solutions for how to restore the crops and send the flamingos elsewhere. In the AP's report, one farmer calculated that they had already lost nearly 90% of their plants. That's bad news for them and not the best news for risotto lovers, either.You Won't Believe the Unexpected 'Pests' Destroying Rice Crops in Italy first appeared on Parade on Jul 11, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.