What Beaches in Florida Have Flamingos?

What Beaches in Florida Have Flamingos?

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Since I bought my family condo on Anna Maria Island, I have always wanted to see flamingoes.  Some evenings, I walk along the island for flamingo sightings, but I have not been lucky.

Realistically, I understand that it might be rare for me to see these birds.  While I have seen them in zoos and some African countries, I believed it would be easier to sight them on the island.

There are six species of flamingos in the world, but only the American flamingo makes North America his home.

The population of these four-foot-tall birds in the Caribbean and Mexico is about 200,000 and still counting, so it is not on the list of endangered species. This is according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

What beaches in Florida have flamingos?

Hialeah Park is where you can find flamingoes.

I am grateful that Joseph Widener bought the first flock of flamingos to Florida for them to live at the infield lake at Hialeah Park. From then, they became the known trademark of Hialeah Park, which South Florida is known for.

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This is why the infield lake at Hialeah Park is a perfect destination for flamingos sighting in Florida.

You can see flamingos in many places in Florida living in their natural habitat, from Miami to Orlando.

American flamingos have often been seen along the coastal areas of Florida, but besides Hialeah, about 95% of their viewing has been at Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and the Florida Keys.

In 2015, a wild flamingo was seen between two airstrips at the Naval Air Station Key West, southern Florida, and pilots were afraid of collision each day it was seen around.

Flamingo Habitat

The American flamingo can be seen in all the Caribbean islands. Their breeding population can be seen in Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas.

You can also see a smaller breeding population in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. There is a breeding colony of birds in Florida that came from originally imported birds.

This breeding colony was recently seen in the Dominican Republic, and others may be existing in Colombia, Curacao, the Turks, and Caicos Islands.

The American flamingo does not migrate, but they can go long distances to look for food or sex mates. This is why they can be seen on different islands of the Caribbean. Reports has it that these birds are seen along the Florida’s coast.

However, you can find them at Biscayne Bay, Everglades, and the Florida Keys. Furthermore, there has been an increased sighting of flamingos at shallow treatment wetlands of the Everglades.

The American flamingos love staying close to humans unlike other flamingos that prefer their space.

The story of Conchy

For instance, some airport employees have done everything they could to make the bird leave its choice habitat all to no avail.

It was a team of experts captured and removed the bird and named it Conchy. Conchy was taken to Zoo Miami where it was discovered that the bird was ill.

Its liver was damaged because of the polluted body of water it was feeding from close to a restaurant.

After some days, Conchy recovered, but he caused more controversy when the researchers wanted to release him. At first, the Floridian government did not want him to be realized claiming that flamingos are not native to the state.

Secondly, they said the specie has not had a breeding population since the late 1800s. In their response, scientists came up with evidence that two flamingos had once visited Florida Bay after they were banded as chicks in Mexico.

This proved that although flamingos were rare they still on their own migrate to Florida from the Caribbean. This made the state reconsider its decision and Conchy was released in 2015. To track his movement, a GPS tracker was attached to the bird.

Conchy refused to leave but remained in Florida for the next two years. Wild American flamingos can survive in Florida throughout the year.

What beach has pink flamingos?

Everglades National Park, Florida has pink flamingos that are native to the state, and you can easily sight them here.

Meanwhile, Flamingo is 38 miles away from the Homestead route to the park, and far from the road. I recommend you spend some time in the park before you rush off to Flamingo

Being social birds, you can see American flamingos in large groups of many pairs and groups of thousands. They are not migratory birds but can fly for a long distance. They can communicate through different vocalizations and body language.

Conservation and Management

Flamingos have been considered to be native to Florida by the FWC, and the determination is not new. Flamingos used to be native to Florida but they went extinct around the 20th century.

Some people in South Florida in 1925 began to establish captive colonies for flamingos. The flamingos breeding colony presently in Hialeah Park Race Track was built in the 1930s.

Research has proven that some American flamingos in Florida today migrated on their own from other states. The birds are treated as native species by the FWC, and they are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

According to IUCN, there are between 260,000 to 330,000 adult flamingos all over the world. There has not been an accurate record of their range and their population in different locations has not been known.

However, it is on record that their regional long-term population trends have been stable. Just about 1% of the total world population of flamingos lives in Florida.

Where can you see flamingos on the beach?

You can see flamingos in the Everglades National Park, Florida.

You don’t have to struggle to sight flamingos in the park. Although the birds disappeared due to hunting decades ago, you can find the American flamingos in the Everglades.

Florida has spent at least $2 billion to the wetland’s maintenance and restoration projects for restoration. In addition, Florida does not allow farmers from developing agricultural runoff.

The effort has improved the water quality, which is good for the birds. If you want to see these birds on a Florida beach, you should come here.

Finally, you can head to Flamingo if you want to see crocodiles, sharks, dolphins, manatees and other marine animals.

 

 


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ABOUT ME

I’m Jeff – I’m like a human GPS, but instead of giving you directions, I give you the inside scoop on how to have the time of your life on your next holiday.

As a born & raised Floridian, I know my home state like the back of my hand.

From the excitement of Orlando’s theme parks to the natural beauty of the Everglades, I’ve explored it all.

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But Florida is just the beginning of my adventures.

I’ve traveled across the US, from the red rocks of Sedona to the lively streets of New York City.

Overseas, I’ve marveled at the Eiffel Tower in Paris and tasted gelato in the piazzas of Rome.

My most unforgettable trip was a safari in Kenya.

Seeing elephants, lions and zebras in their natural habitat was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I even wrote a Book!

So come along for the ride and let me help curate your next epic getaway!

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