Close up of flamingos — Courtesy: Shutterstock — PaniYani
When you think of a flamingo, you presumably envision watering holes in Africa, the Caribbean, or Florida–or almost anywhere else besides Waynesville, Ohio.
Therefore, last week, when Jacob Roalef saw Facebook posts about flamingos at Ceasar Creek State Park near Dayton, he hurried to see them for himself.
“I quickly grabbed my gear and told my wife and was out the door,” Roalef, who leads birdwatching tours, told CNN.
When he arrived, he saw two birds in the lake: an adult and a juvenile.
“The flamingos were just hanging out and sleeping in about a foot of water near the shore,” Roalef said. “They would wake up and drink some water or look up if a gull flew overheard.”
According to him, the birds remained until approximately 6 p.m., when a dog frightened them away.
Since Hurricane Idalia passed through, reports of flamingo sightings have been coming in from all around Florida, as well as Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Kentucky, and many other locations, according to Jerry Lorenz, the state director of research for Audubon Florida.
He hypothesizes that the storm caused the birds to be diverted while they were en route between Cuba and the Yucatan.
“It’s just really surprising that if you follow the path of Idalia, it (the sightings) really does kind of fall out to the north and south of that central track,” he said.
The number of birds who flew north because of the storm is unknown to Lorenz because they are still combing through the data, but it is far higher than typical.
“We have never seen anything like this,” Lorenz said. “We will get a flamingo or two following storms (but) this is really unprecedented.”
A flock of 17 flamingos was seen strolling in the surf and dining on the beach at Treasure Island, close to St. Petersburg, Florida, according to boat skipper Vinnie Fugett.
Around nightfall, the birds finished their meal and took flight.
“I’ve never seen a flamingo here after living here my entire life,” Fugett said.
Because of everything the flamingos have been through, Lorenz asked people to give them plenty of space.
“These birds are stressed right now. They just went through a terrible ordeal no matter how you look at it,” he said. “So don’t get close enough to startle them to frighten them or anything else, but enjoy their presence.”
Although flamingos are endemic to Florida, they were nearly exterminated there around the start of the 20th century because of the demand for their exquisite feathers, which were used in hats and other items of clothing.
Although the flamingo population has been increasing globally, the majority of those in Florida were thought to be descendants of birds that fled from various animal attractions.
Scientists have recently observed flamingos that have flown in from the Bahamas, Yucatan, and Cuba.
Flamingos can travel thousands of miles over open ocean, so the Ohio birds shouldn’t have any trouble returning home when it becomes too cold for them, according to Lorenz.
He has been collaborating with a team of specialists to rehabilitate the Everglades and the Florida Keys and establish suitable habitats for flamingos.
“Perhaps these birds will feel more comfortable and, we will have a population again, and people will be able to come to South Florida and come to the Florida Keys and actually see flamingos in the wild,” he said.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
