Flamingos Make Rare Visit in Texas After Being Blown In by Hurricane Idalia

In early September, birders Mike Williams and Shawn Chaney hit an unexpected jackpot: they spotted five American flamingos on Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston, Texas. It was the first sighting of American flamingos in Galveston in 15 years, according to the eBird online database. Executive director of the Florida Audubon Julie Wraithmell said Hurricane Idalia—which made landfall in Florida on Aug. 30—redirected several American flamingos likely flying between their native ranges of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.