Wild flamingos spotted in Georgia

GREENWOOD, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – An Upstate family experienced a rare and unexpected sighting during a recent trip to Georgia, making the vacation stand out (and up!) above the rest.

“Now we have another new species on the island which is really cool,” amateur naturalist Joshua Wicker said.

When Joshua Wicker and his family visited St. Simons Island a few weeks ago, they were tickled pink by what they saw.

“They’re up on a big marsh on the inside of the island, and it was just like, ‘Oh there it is!’”

During the trip, Wicker spotted five flamingos hanging out in the water.

“This shouldn’t be happening right now. This is Georgia,” Wicker thought when he first saw them.

St. Simons Island sits just off the coast between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL. It’s also hundreds of miles away from the flamingos’ natural habitat.

“You can find them more frequently on the Caribbean Islands and sometimes on the tip of Florida, so you can find them in North American; but they just don’t come north very often,” John Quinn, Director of Environmental Studies at Furman University, said.

The journey to Georgia for these 4 to 8 pound birds is ‘flamazing!’

“It could have been a strong storm this summer. Maybe they were caught in a current blown around or something like that. They do get blown around by certain weather events,” Quinn added.

Last year, Hurricane Idalia flung flamingos around the East Coast, landing as far north as Pennsylvania. But experts say this is the first time there has been a recorded sighting in Georgia.

“It’s a new experience of type of birds you’ve never seen,” Rey Wicker, 12, said.

Rey Wicker, Joshua Wicker’s daughter, believes no matter how they got here, these birds have a leg up on all the rest.

“Cause they’re pink!” Rey Wicker said with excitement.

If you’re interested in learning more about wildlife in the area, Joshua Wicker offers entertaining and educational videos on his page, Y’all, Be Looking!

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