Five facts about Florida's iconic flamingo

The flamingo is an icon of Florida, but there's more to the flashy bird than bold pink feathers and lanky legs. 

Here are five facts you maybe didn't know about flamingos: 

1) Flamingos weren't considered native to Florida until a few years ago

For decades, controversy stirred about whether flamingos were native to Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considered them a visitor to the Sunshine State that didn't have a natural historical presence here.

But an exhaustive 2018 report that looked at historical information from early naturalists and museum records proved that native flocks of flamingos that numbered in the hundreds to thousands once roamed Florida. 

Subscriber exclusive:Just 400 wild flamingos in Florida, but state says they don't need special protection

2.) Flamingos in Florida were hunted to extinction or near extinction

Before Floridians realized that they needed to protect the Everglades, the River of Grass and its flora and fauna were exploited, molested and often destroyed. 

Florida's wading birds were nearly annihilated in the late 1800s as plumers took out entire rookeries to sell the birds' feathers for hats and other adornments. Draining marshes for farms and homes also ruined habitat that supported wading birds, including flamingos. While many wading bird species have begun to recover, it's unclear what happened to the native flamingos. 

PHOTOS::Wading birds of Florida

3.) There are six species of flamingos

Flamingos may look similar but there are six species that have different traits. The species include the greater flamingo, Chilean flamingo, lesser flamingo, American or Caribbean flamingo, the Andean flamingo and the puna flamingo. 

The American or Caribbean flamingos, which are seen in Florida, have the deepest pink plumage because their diet includes carotenoid pigments found in the algae and crustaceans that they eat. 

4.) Why Hialeah is a hot spot for flamingos

Hialeah, a city northwest of Miami, is a known flamingo haunt. That's because in 1931, the owner of the Hialeah Park Race Track, Joseph Widener, brought flamingos to his park from Cuba. According to the 2018 report, about 20 to 30 flamingos were initially imported, but flew away the next day. 

Widener brought in another group of flamingos and clipped their wings. That second group of flamingos began nesting in 1937.

5.) Flamingos can get really old

Flamingos can live up to 70 years, which gives them one of the longest lifespans in the bird world. The American flamingo is one of the largest species of flamingo with an adult averaging 5 feet in height and weighing 4 to 8 pounds. 

Despite living long lives, flamingos can still have bad manners. According to a Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust study, flamingos have been observed shoving or bullying other birds. Researchers reported seeing one flamingo barging into another bird that was sleeping on one leg. 

Kmiller@pbpost.com

@Kmillerweather