The mature trees lining Teal Drive near Navajo Way were once what drew residents to the Park Glen neighborhood. Now, those same canopies have become a source of dread.
“It adds to the character of our neighborhood,” said Melissa Medici. A sentiment that has curdled into anxiety as nesting season for migratory egrets approaches. “It’s trepidation, it’s nervousness when you come through here now.”
Residents said they have spent months on edge, scanning the sky each evening for signs of the large white wading birds that descended on their block last year by the thousands. They say more than 1,000 egrets nested in trees behind some homes, leaving behind mountains of waste.
“I filled my trash can to the brim multiple times, pretty much on a regular basis, with bird waste,” said Gabriel Goubeaux, who lives near the intersection.
He said the impacts of an infestation can not only be damaging to property but also to the health of people and pets.
“It feels like we’re getting attacked every night,” said Rick Sharon, founder of Egret Busters. A group he has formed to get communities engaged and informed.
Every night at dusk, he and other residents gather with noise makers and air horns to discourage the birds from settling in the trees.
They have put deterrents called “hawk’s eye” in the trees. They are balloons designed to mimic a predator, but neighbors said it’s not working.
“Scanning the horizon, checking the tree canopies,” Sharon said, describing the nightly routine. He keeps an umbrella on hand not for rain, but to shield himself from droppings if birds are already perched above.
The Egret Busters also work to educate neighbors about a critical constraint: egrets are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Once a bird lays an egg in a nest, neither the nest nor the egg can be disturbed.
“If they get in and get a foothold, we’re in trouble,” Sharon said.
The city of Fort Worth owns the trees at the center of the dispute. A city spokesperson acknowledged the Teal Drive and Navajo Way corridor is a recognized problem area and said crews have taken action there and in other areas around the city ahead of this year’s nesting season.
“Fort Worth Parks and Recreation and Code Compliance completed planned tree trimming for egret deterrence this season. Approximately 138 trees were trimmed within high-risk egret zones, including the Teal Dr./Navajo Way area. Crews removed 30% of the tree canopy — the maximum permitted under Forestry guidelines and International Society of Arboriculture (ANSI) standards — and cleared out existing egret nests.
The total cost was approximately $32,000, split evenly between Code Compliance and the Parks and Recreation hazard abatement budget, which also funds storm response and other critical needs. The city says its approach is focused on preventative trimming prior to nesting season, in line with established forestry best practices. In some cases, trimming slightly exceeded the 30% threshold where appropriate, though the city noted that over-thinning can negatively affect the long-term health of trees,” the city said in a statement.
For many residents, the city’s effort doesn’t go far enough. Some expressed alarm that the trimming cap leaves the canopy dense enough for birds to return.
“There’s a panic talking about it now because you’re not allowed to do anything,” one neighbor said, referring to the federal protections that take effect once nesting begins. “It creates hazardous conditions for your health.”
Sharon says the window to act is narrow — and closing fast.
Whether their efforts will be enough remains to be seen. As nesting season draws near, neighbors said they will be out again at dusk — noise makers ready, eyes on the canopy.