Impacts of Heronries on Water Quality as Evaluated through and Fecal Sterol Analyses.

  The authors used fecal sterol analysis to determine the potential contribution of E. coli from heronries to waterbodies in east-central Texas. They analyzed E.

An Evaluation of the Contribution of Macro- and Microelements from Colonial Nesting Waterbirds to Surface Water.

Macro- and microelements contained in the feces of cattle egrets () and other colonial birds in heronries can be sources of contamination of nearby waterways. Concentrations of the macroelements potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), sulfur (S) and the microelements zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and boron (B) were measured in water and fecal samples collected from four locations containing heronries during the breeding seasons of 2011, 2012, and 2013. Nitrogen and phosphorus were measured but not reported in this study.

Estimating the contribution of nitrogen and phosphorus to waterbodies by colonial nesting waterbirds.

Fecal deposition by colonial nesting waterbirds is a potential source of nutrient enrichment and pollution of nearby waterways. Excess concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can cause water quality concerns or impairment. We estimated concentrations of N and P deposited to waterbodies by birds nesting in four colonies in east-central Texas during 2011-2013, and developed an age-structured compartment model to estimate the amount of fecal N and P material deposited by birds during the entire breeding season.