Egrets and Herons are some of the most beautiful birds you will see, but when they nest they can also be some of the most destructive. Egrets and Herons are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. What this means is the birds cannot be killed, or their nests disturbed when they have eggs or young.

Egrets and Herons come together and make a “rookery” which can be made up of a few dozen birds to thousands of birds. The rookery will grow as the adults and young return each year. The rookery has many challenges for residences such as excessive excrement, dead frogs, mice and birds, strong smell and orphaned young.

Egrets and Herons generally like to establish rookeries in high, established trees that that have limbs crossing over each other. The first birds to appear in rookeries in North Texas are the Black Crowned Night Herons and the Yellow Crowned Night Herons. They start establishing their nests around the first of February and breeding season extends through late July.

The next to arrive is the Great Heron which nests from early March to early August. The Little Blue Heron and Snowy Egret then set up shop from late March to early July. And finally, the Cattle Egret arrives in late April and stays until October. Since the arrival of the Cattle Egret to North America they have become the most abundant in many rookeries.

Help Prevent Rookeries

• Learn more

More About Egrets and Herons

• Fox 4 News:
  • Arlington delivers egret invasion kits to homeowners by Dionne Anglin/Fox4News.com Staff
  • Arlington helping residents with egret nesting prevention by Dionne Anglin/Fox4.com Staff
• NBC 5 News:
  • Arlington Helps Neighborhood Plagued by Egrets by Ben Russell
  • Arlington Animal Services Preparing to Fight Egret Invasion by Alice Barr
  • Arlington Neighborhood Inundated By Hundreds of Egretsby Ben Russell
• The Humane Society of the United States - Learn more about Hazing Guidelines (for coyotes, foxes, and other animals)
• Texas Parks & Wildlife -
  • Texas Birds: Introducing Texas to Common Birds
  • Black Crowned Night Heron
  • Species Illegal to Hunt (valid through August 31, 2018)
• Texas A&M Agrilife Extension - from The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas
  • Black Crowned Night-Heron
  • Yellow Crowned Night Heron
  • Great Egret
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Little Blue Heron
  • Snowy Egret
  • Cattle Egret

More Information

• What to Do About Orphaned or Injured Wildlife
• Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.
  • Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Contact Information
• Texas Parks & Wildlife
  • List of Wildlife Rehabilitators for Tarrant County, or call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Information Line at 800-792-1112
• Rehabilitators in the metroplex area - DFW Wildlife Coalition
  • Locate a Rehabilitator
  • Contact DFW Wildlife at 972-234-9453, or email at info@dfwwildlife.org
• Learn about other wildlife
• Steps to Reduce Other Wildlife at Home