Imagine a world where flamingos, those iconic symbols of tropical paradise, once again grace the skies of Florida after a century-long absence. It’s happening, and the story behind their return is as fascinating as it is controversial. But here’s where it gets even more intriguing: could their comeback be a direct result of human efforts to restore the Everglades? Let’s dive in.
In August 2023, Hurricane Idalia took an unexpected turn, sweeping a flamboyance of 300 to 400 flamingos—likely migrating between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba—off course and scattering them across the eastern United States, from Florida’s Gulf Coast to as far north as Wisconsin and east to Pennsylvania. As an estuarine scientist who’s spent 35 years studying the ecology of American flamingos and other wading birds in Florida Bay and the Everglades, I was both thrilled and curious about this sudden influx.
One of these birds, rescued near Tampa after nearly drowning in the Gulf of Mexico, became a symbol of hope. Named Peaches, he was fitted with a GPS tracker and a bright blue band marked ‘US02.’ We eagerly tracked his movements, hoping he’d settle in Florida. Unfortunately, the tracker failed shortly after his release, and his last sighting was near Marco Island in October 2023. But the plot thickened in June 2025 when colleagues in Mexico’s Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve spotted Peaches—blue band intact—nesting there. And this is the part most people miss: Peaches’ journey is just the latest piece in a historical puzzle suggesting flamingos might be returning to Florida for good.
But here’s where it gets controversial: While the native flamingo population vanished over a century ago, recent sightings and restoration efforts in the Everglades have sparked debate. Are these birds truly returning, or are they just escapees from captive populations? Let’s explore.
In the late 1800s, flamingos fell victim to the fashion trend of feathered hats, with their plumes worth their weight in gold. Despite laws banning the feather trade, enforcement in sparsely populated Florida was challenging, and Audubon wardens even lost their lives protecting nesting colonies. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 finally ended this practice, but flamingos struggled to recover. By 1956, their population was just 25% of what it had been a century earlier, with only four nesting sites compared to 29 historically.
Flamingos’ unique breeding habits—nesting once a year, laying a single egg, and forming massive colonies—made their recovery slow. For decades, scientists, including myself, believed any flamingos seen in Florida were escapees. But that changed in 2002 when a banded flamingo from Rio Lagartos was photographed in Florida Bay, followed by another in 2012. By then, I’d observed larger flocks in Florida Bay, and in 2015, we tracked a flamingo named Conchy, who stayed in Florida Bay for two years—proof that flamingos could make a permanent home here.
In 2018, my colleagues and I published evidence that flamingos were native to Florida, supported by historical accounts, museum records, and new data showing increasing wild populations. Fast forward to today, and the signs are promising. Six months after Hurricane Idalia, we counted at least 100 flamingos in Florida, and in July 2025, a flock of 125 was spotted in Florida Bay. Could this be the comeback we’ve been waiting for?
The key question is: Why now? I believe the answer lies in the restoration of the Everglades and coastal ecosystems. When I started working in the Keys in 1989, Florida Bay was in ecological collapse due to decades of draining and rerouting water for development. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, launched in 2000, has since improved water flow and salinity, reviving habitats for wildlife. In 2018 and 2021, over 100,000 pairs of wading birds nested in the Everglades—numbers not seen since the 1940s.
While full restoration is still far off, the return of flamingos like Peaches and Conchy suggests we’re on the right track. But here’s the thought-provoking question: Is this comeback a triumph of conservation, or are we merely correcting our past mistakes? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your perspective!
