Flamingos are making a home in Florida again after 100 years – an ecologist explains why they may be returning for good

The gradual return of flamingos to Florida coincides with long-term efforts to restore the Everglades and the state’s coastal ecosystems.

By: Jerome Lorenz, Florida International University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 4, 2026

Words: 1,565

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 4 days ago

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By Jerome Lorenz, Florida International University

Hurricane Idalia blew a flamboyance, or flock, of 300-400 flamingos that was likely migrating between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba off course in August 2023 and unceremoniously deposited the birds across a wide swath of the eastern United States, from Florida’s Gulf Coast all the way up to Wisconsin and east to Pennsylvania.

I’m an estuarine scientist. That means I study ecosystems where fresh water flows into …

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