With summer and peak boating season just around the corner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is asking folks hitting the water to keep an eye out for vulnerable coastal birds. From late February through August, iconic species like brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, black skimmers, and reddish egrets head to small, inshore nesting islands—known as rookeries—along the Texas Gulf Coast. These tiny spots, which sometimes look like nothing more than large sandbars or spoil islands, can hold thousands of birds building nests, laying eggs, and raising their young in colonies. Trey Barron, a regional nongame biologist with TPWD, stressed that these birds are particularly sensitive to human disturbances.
"When approached too closely by boaters or people wading nearby, birds are frightened off their nests, leaving eggs and chicks exposed to the summer sun, which can cause them to overheat," Barron said.
"We hope that Texas boaters and anglers take special care on the coast this summer to protect these important bird species while they care for their young. The abandoned nests could allow opportunistic predators like gulls and grackles to quickly swoop in and feed on them," Barron said.
Protecting these birds is crucial, as over half of the roughly 25 colonial-nesting waterbird species in Texas are experiencing significant population declines. For example, black skimmers—featured on the TPWD Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail logo—have dropped about 70 percent since surveys began in 1973, while the state-threatened reddish egret attracts birders worldwide because Texas holds more of their nests than almost anywhere else. Because of this, their nests, eggs, and chicks are strictly protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code.
To keep these birds safe from anglers, boaters, birdwatchers, and wildlife photographers, the Texas Colonial Waterbird Society—a large partnership of federal and state agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations—recommends staying at least 50 yards away from rookery islands to avoid unintentional and potentially illegal disturbances. While these spots are tempting for kayakers, humans and their pets need to keep a respectful distance. Finally, officials remind everyone to properly dispose of fishing line, tackle, and other waste so birds, turtles, and marine life don't get tangled, injured, or killed.
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