The gulls that circle the Vittoriana at night are perhaps the most eye-catching of Rome’s avian inhabitants, but there are a surprising number of others; new figures released by the council reveal some 110 species of birds make their home in the capital. There are 100 pairs of kestrels in the centre, for example, two of which are based at the Colosseum; some 100 cormorants are found on Tiberina island; and 300 pairs of seagulls have settled at Piazza Venezia.

The city is also home to 6 kinds of amphibians, including the newts that inhabit the ditches at Villa Ada, and 15 kinds of reptile, such as the vipers found in the park at the Appia Antica. There are 26 species of mammal, including foxes at Monte Mario, and 15 kinds of fish in the Tiber and Aniene rivers, ranging from carp and catfish to the red-bellied stickleback.