American Flamingo Visits Bunche Beach Preserve

A visiting birder and author from Ferguson, Missouri named Cornelius "Connie" Alwood was the first to report an American Flamingo to eBird that has favored Bunche Beach Preserve this past week in Fort Myers, Florida.

The American Flamingo above (image 1) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Among Connie's other eBird reports of interest include a mid July 2015 nocturnal observation at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers where he noted a half dozen Mississippi Kites soaring out of sight, as well as a late November 2015 report from California Gulch, Arizona where he and a bird guide observed a Black-capped Gnatcatcher.

The mixed shorebirds above (image 2) were photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Fort Myers News-Press photographer Andrew West at far right and Gail Campbell to his immediate right above (image 3) were photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Possibly crossing paths with Connie at Bunche Beach Preserve on the morning of 21 January was local birding enthusiast and Bird Patrol volunteer, Gail Campbell who provided a notification to the SW Florida Bird Alert closed group Facebook webpage. Gail's report was much more timely allowing me to meet up with her and many others to see and photograph the flamingo in the mid-afternoon.

The American Flamingo above (image 4) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The Willet above (image 5) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

At the beginning of the 20th century, flamingos were virtually eradicated in Florida due to plume hunting and harvesting of their eggs. Flamingos typically lay only one egg in a nesting season. In 2008, the Caribbean population of Greater Flamingo was split by the American and British Ornithologists' Unions creating the American Flamingo.

The American Flamingo above (image 6) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 7) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo is the only flamingo species found in the wild in North America. The three other New World flamingos; Chilean Flamingo, James's Flamingo and Andean Flamingo may be found in South America. The Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo are now considered Old World species. Flamingos can be very long lived with one captive bird (Greater Flamingo) reaching the age of 83 before its death.

The American Flamingo above (image 8) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 9) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The past decade has seen a resurgence of American Flamingos in Florida, particularly at Stormwater Treatment Area 2 (STA2). There unfortunately is a huge disparity in the number of flamingos observed at STA2 from year to year with a high count of 147 in early 2014 and only eight counted in early 2015. However, there was a flamingo mating event observed by a tour group at STA2 in 2015. Flamingo field trips at STA2 are sponsored by Audubon Society of the Everglades.

The American Flamingo above (image 10) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 11) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Lee County has been a rare host to American Flamingos unlike the well known venues STA2, and Snake Bight located in Everglades National Park. 2015 was a boon for Lee County flamingo observations with a bird seen throughout July and another flamingo seen in early September.

The American Flamingo above (image 12) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 13) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingos seen in Lee County in 2015 had a wide range from Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to Bunche Beach Preserve to Bowditch Point Park to Fort Myers Beach to Lovers Key State Park. A great documentation of the flamingo in the area in September was made by South Florida wildlife photographer Al Hoffacker.

The American Flamingo above (image 14) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The Brown Pelican above (image 15) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The flamingo observed in South Fort Myers in late January 2016 seems to favor the Sanibel Causeway tollbooth to Bowditch Point Park to Bunche Beach Preserve. Upon close observation the flamingo can be observed doing a highly entertaining Elvis-like shuffle when feeding.

The American Flamingo above (image 16) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

The American Flamingo above (image 17) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

A bonus bird seen at Bunche Beach Preserve this day was a white morph Reddish Egret with satellite tracking technology. Reddish Egrets are the rarest wading birds in the United States with a study underway to particularly identify the cause of the decline of the species in the Florida Keys.

The banded white morph Reddish Egret above (image 18) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.

Please be sure to be reminded about this weekly Southwest Florida Wildlife Blog with the email gadget located at the top of the page.

The scene above (image 19) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in January 2016.