125 Flamingos Invade Everglades: Helicopters, Bayou, and Plume Trader Ghosts

Flamingos Everglades 125âDr. Mark Cookâs bird survey in Florida Bay morphed into a high-altitude flamingo chase, as the largest flock in a decade scattered before his helicopter. Why are flamingos returning to Florida, and do they nest here? âItâs almost impossible not to spook a large group of flamingos from a helicopter,â Cook admitted after snapping the rare sight.
After Cookâs pink runway moment in Garfield Bight, he suspects a prior band of 30 flamingos joined the mega-flock, raising the question: are these native returns or mere hurricane migrants? How far can flamingos fly in a day, and are they reclaiming old territory? Picture South Floridaâs wading bird census derailed by a technicolor stampede of feathered escape artists.
In 2023, flamingos scattered from Mexico to Lake Michigan via hurricane, but in 2025, 125 of them turned Florida Bay into a fleeting, neon-tinged migration spectacle.