Flamingoing on vacation: Hurricane Idalia blows flamingos up to Midwest U.S.
Birders in the Midwest and Eastern United States are getting the flamboyant surprise of a lifetime as flamingos have been sighted in states ranging from Georgia to Ohio.
No, there wasn’t any mass flamingo zoo breakout—just Hurricane Idalia. The Category 3 hurricane made landfall in Florida on Aug. 30, causing over 9 billion U.S. dollars in damage and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. The catastrophic storm surge, made worse by a rare blue supermoon that rose on the same night, and destructive winds damaged and destroyed many homes.
While flamingos are not considered to be migratory birds, they are very strong flyers and can easily travel long distances. The flamingos, who were likely flying from Mexico to Cuba when the storm blew through, ended up being blown far off course and far from their destination.
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Flamingos have since been spotted in coastal states such as Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas, roughly following Idalia’s path after making landfall. But they have also been spotted in inland states such as Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio.
Hurricane Idalia as it made landfall in Florida on Aug. 30, 2023 as a Category 3 storm. (NOAA)
More flamingos have even been spotted in Florida. Despite Florida being part of their natural habitat range, hunting in the state since the early twentieth century has made them a rare sight.
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Hurricanes have been known to push birds off course in the past. Most birds travelling across the Gulf know to wait for good conditions so as not to get caught by a storm. But every once in a while, they can be caught off-guard. Usually, though, these are smaller migratory birds, not large flamingos.
Birds that are strong flyers, such as the flamingo, can actually use a storm to their advantage by carrying themselves along the frontal winds.
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However, Hurricane Idalia underwent rapid intensification as soon as it entered the Gulf of Mexico, which could have resulted in the iconic birds being blown off course if they were trying to use the winds to their advantage.
We could end up seeing more events like this happening as oceanic temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, resulting in more frequent and more powerful storms going forward.
But fear not, because birds are resilient creatures and excellent at finding their way home. It’s more likely than not that the flamingos will enjoy their vacations for a little longer before flying back to their original destination.
In the meantime, birders can enjoy seeing the pink, flamboyant birds without having to go on a tropical vacation themselves. Just remember to watch the flamingos from a respectful distance and don’t scare them away!
Thumbnail image of flamingos in front of a sunset in Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico by Trip in Mexico/Pexels.
