Name: Why flamingos are returning to Florida
Uploaded: 2025-12-25T03:07:59.447Z
Duration: 2 min 14 s
Description: In late 19th-century Florida, hunters pushed flamingos into functional extinction. But something changed over the last 25 years when hurricanes in the Caribbean chased them into the Everglades. Mark Strassmann reports.

In late 19th-century Florida, hunters pushed flamingos into functional extinction. But something changed over the last 25 years when hurricanes in the Caribbean chased them into the Everglades. Mark Strassmann reports.

Florida

Flamingos, long considered an unofficial symbol of Florida, have been largely absent from the state for over a century due to hunting in the late 19th century. However, recent environmental changes, including hurricanes and extensive Everglades restoration, have led to an increase in flamingo sightings, with a flock observed in Everglades National Park in July 2025.

Conservationists attribute the return of flamingos to improved habitats created by the state's multi-billion dollar restoration of the Everglades, which has reintroduced fresh water to the region. Experts are hopeful that these changes will encourage flamingos to nest and remain in Florida, marking a significant conservation achievement.

Why flamingos are returning to Florida

There is perhaps no greater symbol of Florida than the flamingo. In fact, right now, legislators are considering making it the state bird. Plastic flamingos, very familiar on Florida lawns. And now, there are more of the real thing in the state thanks to changes in the environment. Mark Strassman has tonight's Eye on America. Zoo Miami and its American flamingo seem well-matched. Flamboyant birds in a flamboyant city. Breakfast, come get it. In their exhibit, we met up with Frank Ridgely, the zoo's conservation director. It's this icon of the state and an emblem that is an unofficial emblem. And yet, most people have never seen one outside of a zoo. They've been really hard to find. Virtually impossible to spot for more than a century until recently. In late 19th century Florida, hunters, after their meat and feathers, pushed them into functional extinction. But something changed over the last 25 years when hurricanes in the Caribbean chased them into the Everglades. Guide Pete Corradino has seen them feeding near tangles of mangroves here in Everglades National Park. We didn't see any, but sightings are still rare. These birds look like flamingos. They're actually spoonbills. For the first time in forever, there is a chance you can see a flamingo. Just this past July of 2025, we had a flock that was spotted by helicopter out here in the middle of Everglades National Park. They are out here somewhere. And now there's at least the possibility that they're staying, which is exciting and hopeful. What changed? Florida's multi decade, multi billion dollar restoration of the Everglades. It flushed fresh water into new habitats, and Ridgely says the flamingos approved. This would be the literal feather in the cap of that achievement to be able to get flamingos to start nesting again. They're feeding and they're realizing that this habitat is also really good. The flamingos comeback story here seems to have legs long ones for Ion America. I'm Mark Strassman in Miami.

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