At first glance, the ducks roaming the fairways at The Club at Pecan Grove almost look like part of the scenery. From a distance, they appear as scattered patches of black, white and brown against the manicured greens of the Richmond golf course. Some even waddle up to arriving golfers with wagging tails, almost like dogs greeting visitors.
But the country club says the birds have become far more than a quirky neighborhood attraction.
Muscovy ducks, considered invasive outside South Texas, have become a common sight at The Club at Pecan Grove in Richmond. (Ariana Garcia)
The majority are Muscovy ducks, a large, invasive species known for the red, warty skin on their faces and their ability to rapidly multiply in suburban environments. Mixed among them are Egyptian geese, another invasive species recognizable by their chestnut-colored eye patches, pink legs and loud, territorial behavior.
Egyptian geese are among the invasive species The Club at Pecan Grove says have overtaken parts of the Richmond-area property. (Ariana Garcia)
Together, the non-native birds have overtaken parts of the semi-private community golf course and the surrounding neighborhood, prompting club officials to move forward with what they describe as a humane wildlife management plan.
Egyptian geese walk across the grounds at The Club at Pecan Grove. (Ariana Garcia)
“We hear you on the duck situation,” The Club at Pecan Grove wrote in an April 27 announcement. “They’ve become a real issue-not just here, but across the area-and we agree something needs to be done.”
‘Doing nothing was no longer a responsible option.’
Charles Odom, president of the club’s board of directors, told Chron the property is now dealing with roughly 400 Muscovy ducks, along with a smaller but growing Egyptian goose population.
“What started as a relatively small presence has grown into a larger population that is now impacting the environment, water quality, and overall usability of the property,” Odom said. “Over the past year, it reached a point where doing nothing was no longer a responsible option.”
Officials at The Club at Pecan Grove say the invasive bird population has grown significantly over the past year. (Ariana Garcia)
The birds leave droppings across sidewalks, golf cart paths and other areas on the property. Their waste can pollute small bodies of water, while their size and numbers damage turf and landscaping. Club officials also say the invasive species compete with native wildlife for food and habitat.
“We’ve also seen them displace native bird species and contribute to property, shoreline and turf damage,” Odom said.
The issue is especially pronounced with Muscovy ducks, which are native only to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in extreme South Texas. Elsewhere in the state, they are considered invasive because they breed year-round, adapt easily to suburban environments and multiply quickly.
The Club at Pecan Grove is working with wildlife professionals on a humane removal plan for invasive ducks and Egyptian geese. (Ariana Garcia)
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Muscovy ducks have also been linked to property damage, habitat destruction and diseases that can harm bird populations.
Egyptian geese, meanwhile, are native to sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile Valley. Introduced to the United States through the pet trade, escaped birds established breeding populations across Texas, especially in urban areas around Houston, Austin and San Antonio. The species thrives around golf courses, lakes and parks.
‘The baby ducks are so cute.’
Golfers at Pecan Grove say the birds have become a constant presence.
“They tell you not to, but there are some neighbors that feed them,” one golfer told Chron. “They’re always there. They cross the street and come to the lakes.”
Golfers at The Club at Pecan Grove say invasive ducks regularly gather along the fairways, sidewalks and pool areas around the property. (Ariana Garcia)
He said the birds have spread beyond the course itself.
“If you go to the apartment complex off Old South, you’ll see duck poop everywhere because they come off the fairway and go hang out in the pool,” he said. “If you’re driving up and down Plantation, a lot of times you gotta wait.”
He’s seen ducks gathered beneath outdoor tables around the clubhouse and wandering through the pool area.
Still, he isn’t fully convinced residents will support removing them.
Club officials say the ducks are contributing to water quality issues and damaged across the Richmond-area golf course. (Ariana Garcia)
“A bunch of people would get upset,” he said of the proposed plan. “I’m a big duck hunter. I’m ok to go duck hunting, but when you go duck hunting, you eat them. These would just be killing them off, and that’s different for me.”
Another golfer, a woman who said she’s been visiting the course for more than a decade, laughed while describing the divide many residents seem to feel about the birds.
“The baby ducks are so cute. They’re just precious,” she said. “The big ducks are a pain in the ass.”
The Club at Pecan Grove says hundreds of invasive ducks have overtaken parts of the Richmond-area golf course and nearby community. (Ariana Garcia)
She said golfers regularly have to shoo them away from tee boxes because many have grown accustomed to being fed by residents.
“If you’re right on the tee box where somebody has been feeding them, they come up and get all over the tee box and man, it’s a mess,” she said. “They are not good for the golf course.”
Over the years, she said, the population has only grown larger.
“Worse and worse because they just keep multiplying, and they don’t go anywhere.”
Muscovy ducks take shelter form the heat beneath bushes and landscaping at The Club at Pecan Grove in Richmond. (Ariana Garcia)
Unlike some residents, however, she supports the club’s efforts to reduce the population, provided it’s done carefully.
“I wouldn’t want anybody to hurt one,” she said. “If I hit a ball and it looks like it’s going to hit it, it bothers me. I don’t even like that. They’re cute, and they’re nice, but they’re just a mess.”
The debate over how to deal with invasive ducks
Odom said the club has been coordinating with wildlife professionals, local community entities and Texas Parks and Wildlife on a management plan expected to begin within the next month, pending approvals.
The club says it has already budgeted funds and identified a wildlife service specializing in invasive bird removal.
Golfers say invasive ducks have become part of everyday life at The Club at Pecan Grove in Richmond. (Ariana Garcia)
“Our intent is to implement a humane wildlife management plan through a licensed and experienced wildlife service,” Odom said. “‘Humane’ in this context means handling the animals in a way that minimizes stress and suffering, while complying with all applicable laws and regulations.”
The debate over invasive ducks is not new in the Houston area.
In late 2025, residents in Cinco Ranch raised concerns after officials with a Municipal Utility District used pellet guns to kill Muscovy ducks. Years earlier, Pearland-which calls itself a “bird sanctuary city”-warned residents they were allowed to kill Muscovy ducks found on their property and prohibited feeding them under threat of fines after the population surged.
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This article originally published at This Houston-area golf course has been overrun by hundreds of invasive ducks.