Egrets and Herons in Fredville
Texas sits on one of the main routes migratory birds travel on their journeys to and from Canada. Fredville has had to deal with egrets nesting in residential neighborhoods, although for now migratory birds settle in only a few parts of the city.
Effects of Migratory Birds in Your Neighborhood
The nesting cycle can be a beautiful thing to watch, but a colony of egrets and herons can quickly become overwhelming and may raise health concerns.
Noise: At nests and roosts, the birds make harsh, repetitive calls all year long. These social birds call out to guard their nests and chatter back and forth with their mates.
Droppings: Heavy buildup of bird droppings on homes, roofs, vehicles and streets can create health risks, including avian influenza, salmonella, parasites, trichinosis and other diseases that pass from animals to people. Droppings can also damage roofs and eat away at the paint on houses and cars.
Odor: Droppings, dead birds and fish that the birds drop while feeding can leave a strong, unpleasant smell in the neighborhood.
Federal Protection
Egrets were hunted almost to extinction before they gained federal protection early in the 1900s. The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, passed in 1918, makes it illegal to kill the birds, take them from their nests, pick them up or keep them for any reason. Owning or selling their feathers is also against the law.
How Residents Can Help
Because of these federal protections, city staff cannot step in once the birds are nesting. Instead, the city is asking residents to help keep the birds from settling in Fredville neighborhoods.
October-February
Prevent future nests
- Take down old nests that have been abandoned.
- Trim trees: cut out deadwood and thin the canopy so sunlight passes between branches and neighboring trees.
- Remove both old and new nests before any eggs are laid.
- Before egrets begin laying eggs, use several kinds of scare devices together.
February-March
Stay alert
- Look in your trees every day for birds and nesting material.
- Start scare tactics the moment birds appear on or near your property:
- Make noise, spray water or shine lights into the trees at night.
- Hang moving objects, such as "scare eye" balloons, in the branches.
- Knock down early nesting material with long poles, tennis balls or a garden hose.
- Never harm the birds or their eggs. Migratory birds are protected by an international treaty. If birds are sitting on nests, there are probably eggs. During nesting season it is illegal to kill, harass, move or disturb them.
March – October
Nesting season
- While birds are nesting, do not kill, harass, relocate or move them, and do not try to scare them away by any method.
Questions about wildlife? Contact Animal Services.
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