When Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida last August, the Category 3 storm produced an unexpected outcome: a surge in the Sunshine State's flamingo population.
The hurricane hit during the flamingos' annual migration, when the birds fly from Cuba to Yucatán, Mexico. Strong winds associated with the hurricane blew the birds off course, resulting in flamingos landing across the nation in areas as far north as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In most cases, the birds returned to their typical environments, given that the environment isn't suitable for them in Northern states, but bird experts have noticed that the more than 100 flamingos that blew into Florida decided to stay.
"Historically, flamingos have done very well in Florida," Audubon Florida Communications Director Erika Zambello told Newsweek, adding that if the birds found the habitat and food resources suitable, they could decide to stay.
Audubon Florida recently conducted a census of the birds to determine how many stayed after arriving with Idalia, and officials were pleased to discover more than 100 flamingos were spotted throughout the state.
Zambello said Audubon Florida is uncertain if the population will continue to grow.
"We are really hoping that a significant number of flamingos want to stay in Florida," she said, adding that flamingos need an adequate food supply, a proper habitat and must feel safe if they decide to remain in Florida and breed.
Hurricanes don't always blow birds off course, Zambello said. It depends on how strong the storm is and when it hits. Future hurricanes could produce the same outcome, depending on their timing and direction.
Between 80,000 and 90,000 American flamingos live in the wild. They are mostly located in the Caribbean, but breeding populations also live in Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela, among other locations.
"We hope to see increasing populations not just because of random-chance hurricanes but because we are actively restoring and preserving the habitat they need throughout the Everglades and southern Florida," Zambello said. "Flamingos are at home in Florida. They are a species that is supposed to be here."
Records dating back to the 1800s show that at one time flocks of flamingos in Florida were in the hundreds and even thousands. Their numbers dwindled after hunters began killing the birds for their pink feathers.
"They are a natural part of the ecosystem, and they deserve to be here because this is their home," Zambello said. "If we want flamingos to stay here, we need to make sure we are continuing to restore the Everglades, improving water quality and that when flamingos do come here, we give them space and don't bother them."
Zambello said that if a person's presence is causing a change of behavior in the flamingo—such as the bird walking away or becoming agitated—then the person is too close.
She said flamingos are "beautiful" and "stunning" to see in the wild but urges people to use binoculars or a zoom lens to see them up close.
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Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
