Nestled along the banks of Otter Creek within Indigo Run, the Indigo Run Rookery is one of Hilton Head Island's most spectacular — and best-kept — natural treasures. Each spring and summer, hundreds of colonial waterbirds gather here to nest, raise their young, and fill the air with the sounds of one of the Lowcountry's finest wildlife spectacles.
About the Rookery
The rookery occupies a small island of mature trees in the middle of Otter Creek, making it a naturally protected nesting site. This type of colonial waterbird rookery is rare — an irreplaceable feature of Indigo Run's natural landscape that has thrived here for over 15 years.
Species observed nesting at the rookery include:
Visiting the Rookery
The rookery can be observed from Indigo Run's leisure trail system along Otter Creek. Peak viewing season is spring and summer (April–August) when nesting activity is at its height. Binoculars are recommended. Please observe quietly from the trail — the birds are sensitive to disturbance during nesting season.