Baseball-size hail pounded Rokey Islands along the Texas coast on Saturday, leaving an estimated 2,000 birds dead or severely injured and stamping cratered pockmarks into the mud where nests once clustered. The assault — mostly on brown pelicans but also on a mix of herons, terns, and threatened shorebirds — is being called among the largest avian mortality events from hail in North America in decades.
Researchers' early tally
A report published by Harte Research Institute on Wednesday said initial surveys found more than 1,600 brown pelicans and roughly 400 birds of nine other species were killed or severely injured on rookery islands in Corpus Christi Bay and near Baffin Bay. The institute estimated about 1,400 birds died outright and 600 were injured, and it deployed drones and ground teams to map the damage and guide response efforts.
Supercells, 'baseball'-size hail and tropical‑force gusts
The National Weather Service reported the Coastal Bend was hit by three supercell thunderstorms that produced hail at least 2.75 inches in diameter and gusts up to 70 mph, tracking from Sinton southeast toward Mustang Island, as reported by MySA. The wind-driven hail shattered windows, stripped vegetation and covered islands with impact craters that left medium and large birds little chance of escaping unscathed.
Rescue and triage in Port Aransas
Survivors were taken to the University of Texas Marine Science Institute's Amos Rehabilitation Keep in Port Aransas for triage and care; staff and volunteers reported treating pelicans, herons, terns, and gulls while many birds were too badly injured to save, according to the Chron. The ARK posted that teams were hopeful some birds would be releasable after rehabilitation, but social posts and media reports show teams also faced the difficult decision to euthanize birds with catastrophic injuries.
Threatened shorebirds among the losses
HRI's early assessment lists nine other species among the casualties, including threatened reddish egrets, red knots and piping plovers — species that rely on a handful of Texas coastal sites for nesting and migration stopovers. That concentrated loss at rookery islands raises concerns for breeding success this season and could complicate recovery for already vulnerable populations, researchers said in the HRI report.
Climate context: are large hail events changing?
HRI scientists and local researchers warned the event shows how extreme weather can suddenly overwhelm conservation gains; HRI's Dr. Dale Gawlik told the Chron that "human‑caused climate change is allowing for larger hail." Independent modeling work also suggests warming can increase environments favorable to larger hailstones in some regions, according to a 2025 study in the journal NHESS.
What comes next
Officials and conservation groups say a full assessment will take weeks as teams expand surveys and document colony losses; rehab centers will continue triage and long-term care for survivors, according to MySA. The findings will inform monitoring and targeted protections for affected rookeries as managers weigh immediate relief and longer-term conservation steps.
