Rare flamingo sighting on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin

Flamingos likely blown off course by Hurricane Idalia end up in Port Washington

Flamingos likely blown off course by Hurricane Idalia end up in Port Washington

TO GRAB POSTSEASON TICKETS. FIRST AT FOUR THAT BEACH SURPRISE POPPING UP IN PORT WASHINGTON. YOU HAVE TO STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND COME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO. FIVE FLAMINGOS ON WISCONSIN BEACH ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN. DOZENS OF PEOPLE FLOCKED TO SEE THE BIRDS ON SOUTH BEACH THIS AFTERNOON. METEOROLOGIST DAJI ASWAD IS THERE IN DAJI. THESE FLAMINGOS DEFINITELY NOT FROM HERE. DEFINITELY NOT FROM HERE. WHEN THEY SAID, I’M SENDING YOU TO SOUTH BEACH THIS AFTERNOON, I WAS THINKING FLORIDA BEING HOPEFUL, BUT WE ARE IN BEAUTIFUL PORT, WASHINGTON AT THEIR SOUTH BEACH AND YOU CAN SEE OVER MY SHOULDER HERE THAT THE FLAMINGOS ARE STILL HERE. WE HAVE THE PINK ONES. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE SOME WHITE AND GRAY ONES OUT THERE, FIVE IN TOTAL. AND THE CROWD HAS BEEN AMAZING WATCHING, WATCHING AND TAKING PICTURES. WE SPOKE WITH RIVER EDGE NATURE CENTER ON THE PHONE EARLIER TODAY. THEY SAY THIS IS A RARE OCCURRENCE FOR FLAMINGOS TO BE THIS FAR NORTH. AND THIS RARE SIGHTING IS BRINGING BIRDERS AND EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO SEE THE PINK CREATURES. SO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE YOU SEE HERE ARE FROM KIND OF THAT BIRDING NETWORK LIKE THEIR FRIEND CALLED THEM OR THEY FOUND OUT THROUGH A GROUP. BUT ALSO YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT JUST KIND OF SHOWED UP AND THEY’RE LIKE, OH, A FLAMINGO. YEAH, I WILL FOUR DAYS. I WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE. AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE SHOWING YOU THE CROWD THAT HAS BEEN HERE FOR MANY HOURS. WE’VE SEEN PEOPLE COME AND GO AND THIS HAS BEEN EXTENDING ALL ALONG THE BEACH. WE HAVE KIDDOS, BIRDERS, FAMILIES, EVERYBODY OUT HERE JUST TRYING TO TAKE IN THIS RARE OCCURRENCE TONIGHT AT 5 P.M. I’LL LET YOU KNOW SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL WEATHER PATTERN THAT MAY HAVE HELPED THESE BIRDS GET TO LAKE MICHIGAN. WE ARE LIVING THROUGH YOU, DAJI. AND I GOT TO TELL OUR VIEWERS, I ACTUALLY CHANGED MY TIE TODAY TO PUT ON. I FORGOT TO CHANGE. I GOT TO GO CHANGE, SIR, TO MATCH THE FLAMINGOS OUT THERE. DA

Rare flamingo sighting on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin

Flamingos likely blown off course by Hurricane Idalia end up in Port Washington

Five flamingos have been spotted on Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin.Jerry Lorenz, the state director of research for Audubon Florida, speculates that the birds were flying between Cuba and the Yucatan and got diverted by Hurricane Idalia. According to the American Birding Association's Facebook page, flamingos have shown up in at least 10 states.They’ve gotten reports of flamingos from around Florida, as well as Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Kentucky and many other places. Twelve states have now reported the tropical birds, Wisconsin being the northernmost. This is the first recorded flamingo sighting in Wisconsin.Lorenz urged people to give the flamingos lots of space because they’ve been through a lot.“These birds are stressed right now. They just went through a terrible ordeal, no matter how you look at it,” he said. “So don’t get close enough to startle them to frighten them or anything else, but enjoy their presence.” How will the flamingos get back home? Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources says there are no plans to "rescue" the birds for now. There's no reason to believe they're in danger right now, but if they end up in bad shape because of a lack of food or an injury, then a wildlife group will likely step in. There will likely be more sightings over the next few weeks, until it starts to get cold, and their instincts trigger them to start flying south. The Department says it hopes the birds start moving south soon, because there isn't really food for them here. If they don't have enough energy, they may have trouble getting home. The Department of Natural Resources also stressed people should leave the birds alone. They're wild animals and should be treated as such.CNN contributed to this report.

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. —

Five flamingos have been spotted on Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

Jerry Lorenz, the state director of research for Audubon Florida, speculates that the birds were flying between Cuba and the Yucatan and got diverted by Hurricane Idalia.

According to the American Birding Association's Facebook page, flamingos have shown up in at least 10 states.

They’ve gotten reports of flamingos from around Florida, as well as Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Kentucky and many other places.

Twelve states have now reported the tropical birds, Wisconsin being the northernmost. This is the first recorded flamingo sighting in Wisconsin.

Lorenz urged people to give the flamingos lots of space because they’ve been through a lot.

“These birds are stressed right now. They just went through a terrible ordeal, no matter how you look at it,” he said. “So don’t get close enough to startle them to frighten them or anything else, but enjoy their presence.”

How will the flamingos get back home?

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources says there are no plans to "rescue" the birds for now. There's no reason to believe they're in danger right now, but if they end up in bad shape because of a lack of food or an injury, then a wildlife group will likely step in.

There will likely be more sightings over the next few weeks, until it starts to get cold, and their instincts trigger them to start flying south.

The Department says it hopes the birds start moving south soon, because there isn't really food for them here. If they don't have enough energy, they may have trouble getting home.

The Department of Natural Resources also stressed people should leave the birds alone. They're wild animals and should be treated as such.

Flamingos blown off course by Hurricane Idalia end up in Port Washington

WISN

5 flamingos in Port Washington, Wisconsin

People drove from different places to catch a glimpse of flamimgos on Lake Michigan

WISN

People drove from different places to catch a glimpse of the flamimgos

CNN contributed to this report.

Rare flamingo sighting on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin

Flamingos likely blown off course by Hurricane Idalia end up in Port Washington

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How will the flamingos get back home?

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