Flamingos Are Now Showing up in New York State
In an apparent first for New York State, a flamingo has been spotted in an East Hampton pond... and it's possible we'll could see even more of them in the future.
Avid bird waters are rejoicing that a species rarely seen outside of tropical areas has found its way to the Empire State.
The New York Post recently confirmed the pink bird was wandering around The Hamptons and people flocked to the area with their binoculars and cameras. The woman who was among the first to notice it said she honestly thought the creature was a weird-looking swan.
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"As soon as it lifted up its neck, I knew instantly it was a lost flamingo," said Cathy Blinken.
Lost indeed since these birds mostly live in South America, the West Indies, and the Yucatán Peninsula. It's believed the graceful bird was ferried farther up north thanks to Hurricane Idalia, which slammed the southeastern part of America in August.
That storm apparently dumped flamingos in multiple in odd places across the U.S., but this latest sighting is apparently the first time one has ever been this far up North.
Now that brings us to another flamingo that may have entered the Empire State. Last week, people in Cape Cod went nuts when a separate flamingo showed up at their beach, however, it didn't stick around for very long.
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NBC New York says it is likely that flamingo is now in the Empire State - most likely along Long Island.
Birders reportedly saw it near Cedar Beach Marina.
It is unknown if the bird is a wild animal or an unfortunate escapee from captivity. The best guess is that it was swept up in the hurricane and deposited far away from home.
Whether or not the bird will be allowed to stay has yet to be seen. Chances are someone will try to bring it to a more suitable location when we get closer to winter.
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