By Tim Forrester, PhD, Coastal Avian Biologist, Audubon Texas 

When you think of birds’ nests, you may think of the woven cup of a Northern Mockingbird placed high in a tree, or the mossy clump of a Carolina Chickadee safe in a nest box. However, many of our local Texas birds hide their nests in plain sight in areas heavily trafficked by humans, making them very vulnerable. The beach is an area most people associate with fun and relaxation, but it’s also where birds like Plovers, Terns, and Skimmers place their nests and work hard to raise their young. Memorial Day weekend is when Texas beaches start to become more crowded, meaning now, more than even, it’s important that we all Share the Shore with these sensitive beach-nesting birds.  

Just in the last few weeks, Audubon Texas has monitored a variety of disturbances to beach-nesting birds. A nesting colony of Black Skimmers on Struvelucy Island in West Galveston Bay was disturbed by nighttime fisherman who walked onto the small island at night despite many signs warning not to. On Chester Island in Matagorda Bay, one of the largest and most important nesting sites for colonial nesting waterbirds, a family recently landed and walked through a colony of nesting terns. Such disturbances can directly destroy many eggs and chicks, as well as discourage the birds from returning in future years. Audubon Texas is calling on all Texans to Share the Shore with these sensitive birds, which includes staying out of fenced-off nesting areas or areas with signs that are closed to the public.  

Whether you’re sunbathing, swimming, fishing, walking your dog, or boating, follow these tips to help protect birds and their babies on the beach: 

• Avoid walking through or near flocks of birds. 
• Respect the fences and signs and stay outside of areas marked as breeding grounds for birds. 
• If pets are permitted on beaches, keep them leashed and away from birds. 
• Remove trash and food scraps, which attract predators that might eat birds’ eggs and/or chicks.  
• Do not drive on beach dunes or other nesting areas. 
• Do not boat close to breeding grounds at night, bright lights can disrupt natural nesting behavior. 

Across Texas, Audubon leases and manages a portfolio of bird nesting islands with help from many partners. Due to compounding threats like sea-level rise and habitat loss, coastal birds are facing a crisis—seabirds around the world have decreased by 70 percent since 1950, and shorebirds in North America alone have seen an even steeper decline since 1973. Only by all working together to Share the Shore with these sensitive birds can we reverse these declines.