From the branding practices of Florida tourism, you'd think that the state would be overrun with flamingos. It turns out that the iconic bird on so many Florida souvenirs, buildings, beach towels, and yard decorations is left over from the 19th century. As the 1800s came to a close, flamingos were nearly wiped out in the state because they were hunted for their feathers, used to decorate ladies' hats. That coincided with habitat loss, as Florida swamps were drained and wetlands were greatly diminished in the early 20th century. For most of the last hundred years, the Florida flamingo was fairly fictional.
But things may be changing. Conservationists have worked to restore the Everglades and other wetlands to their natural state, which is enticing passing flamingoes to stick around. Sightings of flamingos have risen year by year. Stories of flamingos appearing after hurricanes indicate that the birds are blown off course, and scientists suspect that around 100 flamingos were blown into Florida by Hurricane Idalia last year. That's not all that unusual, but this time, they seem to be sticking around in the improved Florida habitat. This time, we need to keep our hands off their feathers. Read about the return of flamingos to Florida at Smithsonian.
(Image credit: Betty Wills (Atsme))
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