Flamin-go wherever the wind blows.
Five of the bright pink tropical birds were spotted Friday frolicking just off shore in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan waters — marking the first time flamingos have been spotted in the state.
Hordes of birdwatchers flocked to catch a glimpse of the three adults, who had earned their pink plumage, and two gray juveniles as they stood just 25 feet from the beach in Port Washington, a town 27 miles north of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. .
“This is huge,” said Jim Edelhuber of Waukesha, an avid bird watcher and photographer who rushed to see the waterfowl after news of their visit spread on social media.
“This is unbelievable.”
The birds seemed content as Wisconsin enjoyed a nearly 80-degree day on its first day of fall.
The flamingos mostly slept on the shoreline after landing in the Badger State earlier that morning, according to Ryan Brady, a conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife biologists theorize the birds were pushed to the northern states after they were blown from their original path of Mexico and Cuba by Hurricane Idalia’s strong winds.
Five flamingos appear on the shores of Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin. AP
Dozens of flamingos appeared in unusual places across the country following the storm – including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Wild flamingos were also seen swimming in Florida waters for the first time in a century.
The birds used to call the Sunshine State home until they were hunted to near extinction in the early 19th century as fashion trends shifted towards the popularity of feathers.
The visit marks the first time the waterfowl has been spotted in the state.AP
Three of the birds are pink adults and the other two are gray juveniles.AP
The rare flamingos that call Florida their permanent home make up only 1% of the global flamingo population and live in a semi-domesticated environment, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“I’ve only seen (flamingos) on our trip to Aruba,” said Debbie Gasper of Port Washington, who made the short trip to the lakefront with her husband Mark.
“I have to send this picture or our relatives in Georgia won’t believe it.”
Hordes of bird watchers arrived to witness the historic sight.AP
The flamingo isn’t the “first” celebrity bird to make a historic visit to Wisconsin this year, however.
The flame-colored tanager – the bright orange bird of the tropics – was spotted in the state in nearby Cudahy in May.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
