Egret regret: Residents complain as bird flock brings noise, odors to Naju apartment complex
Published: 16 Jul. 2025, 16:04
![A flock of egrets nests in a bamboo grove near a newly built apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla, on July 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/16/c596161c-39b5-4fa6-b92e-926080c3df87.jpg)
A flock of egrets nests in a bamboo grove near a newly built apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla, on July 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Nature's beauty or just a big smelly pile of poop? Hundreds of white egrets have taken over a bamboo grove next to a new apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla, overwhelming residents with noise, odor and droppings, while legal protections for the migratory birds leave the city with few options until the birds voluntarily fly south in the fall.
The flock of white egrets made their voices heard on July 11, with hundreds of their calls reverberating throughout the entire apartment complex.
Residents living nearby described the birds as a “nuisance” when asked about the flock.
The egrets’ loud calls and foul odor permeate both the complex grounds and the interiors of homes. The birds first appeared in the bamboo grove in March, with their numbers surging by late May.
“White and pristine egrets symbolize chaste scholars in Korean history, but for us, they’ve become a terrible burden," a resident said. "Their numbers now likely exceed well over 1,000."
The birds feed in fields along the Yeongsan River, about 600 meters (1,969 feet) in a straight line from the complex.
Local officials said the egrets already inhabited the bamboo grove before the apartment development received approval in 2022. The birds roosted in a different part of the grove at least 150 meters from the apartments earlier this year, but they moved closer, as the bamboo trees died from excrement.
![A flock of egrets nests in a bamboo grove near a newly built apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla on July 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/16/efa9058d-1cf3-4087-af05-42efbfd529f2.jpg)
A flock of egrets nests in a bamboo grove near a newly built apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla on July 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Naju city officials plan to consult with wildlife experts to determine when the birds first arrived, why their population has grown so rapidly and to estimate their exact number.
The complex has 18 buildings housing 1,554 households, with three buildings — consisting of about 300 households — directly facing the grove at a distance of 40 to 60 meters . Residents in the lower floors suffer most, enduring feathers, dust and bird droppings.
“I want to open the windows on cool evenings, but I can’t because of the smell and noise,” a resident surnamed Park, 83, said. “The stench makes me dizzy, and on bad days, the air conditioner even smells of egret droppings.”
Residents said walking along paths that border the grove has become "unbearable."
“At dusk, the stench and noise from the egrets spread throughout the complex," said Kim Young‑mi, manager of the complex’s office. "We’ve found excrement all along the walking paths and occasionally discovered dead birds.”
Naju has received more than 20 complaints about the birds since late May but offers no quick solution, as the egrets enjoy legal protection under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Officials cannot destroy trees or clear their habitat until the birds leave.
The egrets are a migratory summer bird that spends winter in warmer southern regions and arrives in Korea mainly in March before departing in September. Residents are calling on the city to relocate the egret habitat. Once the birds move out, officials could fell trees or prune branches to discourage them from returning.
"There isn’t an immediate solution," a resident surnamed Kang said. "But we urgently need prompt action from the local government through consultation with landowners, as locals are suffering."
City officials said they will work with wildlife experts to develop measures that resolve residents’ complaints.
![A flock of egrets nests in a bamboo grove near a newly built apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla on July 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/16/356c8dbd-0aed-4510-a519-049bd807e985.jpg)
A flock of egrets nests in a bamboo grove near a newly built apartment complex in Naju, South Jeolla on July 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]
“We cannot guarantee the birds will relocate even if we build artificial nesting sites, and similar efforts failed in other jurisdictions," a Naju official said. "Once the egrets depart later this year, we’ll consider tree removal or branch pruning.”
The issue echoes similar egret infestations in Seo District, Gwangju, in 2012 and 2023. Hundreds of egrets that were feeding in Gwangju Stream at the time caused damage by nesting in forests near elementary schools and along streets, leading to public complaints.
A Seo District official said authorities “cut tree branches before the egrets arrived to encourage them to move on.”
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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