COLONIAL WATER BIRDS: [02_sfx_birds] Colonial Water Birds 
are pretty to see, but don't get too close. We'll tell you 
why, on Passport to Texas.

This is Passport to Texas

[02_sfx_waterbirds]

Colonial Waterbirds gather on tiny islands dotted along 
the Texas Coast. Their beauty and diversity is attractive, 
but their populations have struggled over the years.

04—Colonial Waterbirds in the past experienced some pretty 
significant population declines.

Trey Barron is a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with Texas 
Parks and Wildlife. 

08—A lot of the populations were down to almost nothing. 
Mainly due to overhunting. You know their feathers are very 
attractive and they were using them in stuff like hats.

Regulation changes and habitat improvements allowed 
many of the species to recover. But today there are new 
challenges like island erosion and exotic vegetation. Trey 
says one of the larger impacts, however, is human 
disturbance. Boaters, anglers and even photographers can 
get too close.

12—and they are disturbing these birds off of their nesting 
sites. Anytime that the birds get up, the young or the eggs are 
susceptible to predators. And some of those predators are other 
birds.

The more we can do to avoid disturbing these island 
habitats, the more successful Colonial Waterbirds can be.

We record our series at the Block House in Austin, Texas and Joel
Block engineer our program.

The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series and 
funds research for Colonial Waterbirds in Texas. 

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti. 




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