Flamingos – go wherever the wind blows.
Five bright pink tropical birds were spotted frolicking in the waters of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan on Friday, marking the first time flamingos have been sighted in the state.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that flocks of birdwatchers flocked to catch a glimpse of the three adult birds, which had sprouted pink feathers, and the two gray juveniles, which stood Just 25 feet from Port Washington Beach, 27 miles north of Milwaukee. the report said.
“It’s just huge,” said Jim Edelhuber of Waukesha, an avid birdwatcher and photographer who rushed after news of their visit spread on social media Come and see this waterfowl.
“It’s incredible.”
With temperatures approaching 80 degrees on the first day of fall in Wisconsin, the birds seemed content.
Ryan Brady, a conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said most of the flamingos were sleeping on the beach after arriving in the Badger State early that morning.
Wildlife biologists speculate that the birds were pushed into northern states after being blown off course from their native Mexico and Cuba by Hurricane Idalia’s strong wind gusts.
After the storm, dozens of flamingos appeared in unusual places across the country, including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
For the first time in a century, wild flamingos have been spotted swimming in Florida waters.
These birds once made the Sunshine State their home until the early 19th century, when fashion shifted toward feathers and they were hunted to the brink of extinction.
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 my trip to Aruba,” said Debbie Gasper of Port Washington, who visited the lake with her husband, Mark A short trip.
“I had to send this photo or our relatives in Georgia wouldn’t believe it.”
However, flamingos aren’t the “first” celebrity bird to make this year’s historic visit to Wisconsin.
The flame-coloured tanager is a tropical bright orange bird that was discovered near Cadahi in the state in May.
