PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — A rare pink sight was seen by many curious onlookers Friday on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan, according to multiple reports.
Five American flamingos, a bit off their usual course, drew large crowds to the beach as they enjoyed the cool water.
CBS 58 reported that the birds enjoyed the area for about eight hours before taking off. The American Birding Association says Hurricane Idalia threw the birds off course.
"Just close your eyes and pretend that you're in the Caribbean," Beth Connell, flamingo watcher, told the news outlet.
Ryan Brady, a conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told Wisconsin Public Radio that this occurrence is the first known record of sighting a wild American Flamingo in Wisconsin.
On Sept. 7, following reports of the birds in multiple states including Ohio and Kentucky, the American Birding Association said each hurricane season brought “the thrilling prospect of finding tropical and pelagic birds far north or well inland of their usual ranges.”
Beachgoers at Treasure Island were treated to a rare sighting of a small flock — also known as a "flamboyance" — of pink flamingos flying over the beach on Aug. 29.
If you're not from Florida, you might think flamingos, a bird ubiquitously linked to the Sunshine State's identity, are regularly seen roaming around here in the Tampa Bay area. But that's not the case.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, while American flamingos have been seen along much of the state's coast, more than 95 percent of sightings happen in South Florida within the Everglades, Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys. People living or visiting in Hialeah are also able to observe the birds.