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Rising water tables and birds and bats attracted by water seeping up into stone, threaten the Great Sphinx and other monuments of Ancient Egypt.

Water seeping into the stone creates calcium deposits that attract more and more birds.

El Shammaa says rising humidity levels threaten the Sphinx.

CAIRO: The crowds of pigeons, doves and sparrows that have been landing regularly on several parts of the Sphinx indicate that the level of humidity is dangerously increasing within the stone structure of the statue, senior tour guide Bassam El Shammaa warned.

Visitors to the site have noticed birds settling on the statue’s head and the shaded northern part of the structure. Other birds sit in the shaded gaps that make up the Sphinx’s eyes and ears.

Besides leaving behind acidic droppings, the birds also slowly eat into the fragile stone as they pick the tiny grains of sand.

El Shammaa launched an on-line campaign last year called “Save the Sphinx!”
Daily News Egypt - Full Article: By Ahmed Maged

Will bird repellent solve the problems? Other temples throughout Egypt are also suffering damages from birds and bats. But it will not solve the problems of water damage.