Reddish Egrets and other wading birds and shorebirds will benefit from the substantial projects funded last week – along with all birds that reside in or migrate through the Gulf Coast.

Last week, funding for $100 million in new Gulf restoration projects was announced by the Deepwater Horizon Trustees, including $35 million that will specifically benefit bird populations by restoring rookery islands and much more! Many bird populations are still recovering from the catastrophic oil spill 11 years ago at the BP Deepwater Horizon. Among the proposed projects is the Bird Nesting and Foraging Area Stewardship project that will support coastal birds across 4 Gulf Coast states.

Other projects to support Gulf Coast Birds include restoring, protecting, and managing critical nesting islands like Chester Island in Texas, the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana, Round Island in Mississippi, and Dauphin Island in Alabama! Threatened by increasing tropical storms, these islands are usually a safe haven for thousands of nesting birds, including Reddish Egrets, Brown Pelicans, Snowy Plovers, and American Oystercatchers, plus migrating species like Red Knots and Piping Plovers.

For more information from the original National Audubon Society article, you can refer to https://www.audubon.org/news/gulf-coast-birds-receive-nearly-35-million-investment-bp-oil-spill-settlement