TPWD Encourages Texas Anglers and Boaters to Stay Clear of Coastal Waterbird Rookeries

April 9, 2026

Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030

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AUSTIN - With summer and peak boating season just around the corner, iconic coastal birds like brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, black skimmers and reddish egrets begin to utilize small, inshore nesting islands, also called rookeries, along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) urges anglers and boaters to use caution around these nesting birds, which are particularly sensitive to human disturbances. These rookeries often support thousands of birds that use all available island habitat to build nests, lay eggs, and raise their young in colonies.

"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," said Trey Barron, a regional nongame biologist with TPWD. "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."

Colonial nesting waterbirds, whose nests, eggs and chicks are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and by Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, typically nest from late February through August. The islands in which the birds nest are often tiny, including spoil islands, and may only appear as large sandbars. This puts them at risk of encountering coastal recreational users such as anglers, boaters, birdwatchers, and wildlife photographers. Of the 25 or so species considered to be colonial nesting waterbirds in Texas, over half are experiencing major population declines.

Texas' coastal waterbirds and their habitats are valuable to the Lone Star state. Black skimmers, the species featured on the logo of the TPWD Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail signage, have declined about 70 percent since record-keeping began with Texas colonial waterbird surveys in 1973. The reddish egret, a state threatened species with more nests in Texas than almost anywhere, attracts birders from all over the world.

The Texas Colonial Waterbird Society, a large partnership of federal and state agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations, recommends that people fish, swim and play at least 50 yards away from rookery islands to minimize unintentional and potentially illegal disturbance. While the nesting islands are often attractive spots for kayakers and other boaters, it's important for humans, and their pets, to keep a safe and respectable distance.

In addition to avoiding rookery islands during the nesting season, it's recommended that boaters and anglers properly dispose of fishing line, tackle and other waste to ensure that no birds, turtles or other marine life become entangled, injured or killed.

For more information visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/tcws/