Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Cattle egrets nest communally along with other similar birds. It’s a magical moment when a friend sometimes takes us to a rookery at Kiawah. I get to see all these beautiful birds gathered in trees, and thick bushes over water. But that area is nowhere near people’s houses, or restaurants, or public gathering places where, sometimes, these nesting sites cause some people lots of angst. Since they eat a lot and feed their young for several weeks, the amount of excrement produced can be pretty smelly. These birds are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Once they start laying eggs it is a crime to disturb them. As we lose more of our open spaces in South Carolina, conflicts between people and nature will become more problematic.
Cattle egret nests

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