John K. Flores: Flamingos make rare Louisiana appearance

No matter what part of the United States you’re from or live in, most people can readily identify flamingos. This iconic tropical bird is made up of six subspecies and has an estimated worldwide population of roughly 2 million.
The American or Caribbean flamingo subspecies can be found on all of the Caribbean Islands, Caribbean Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula), Belize, coastal Colombia, northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Galapagos Islands, and southern Florida.
Where they’re not found, with the exception of “very rare” occasions, is Louisiana. If it wasn’t for the New Orleans Audubon Zoo, I’d have never seen one live before.
Recently, during an August fishing trip out of Cocodrie with Top Water Charters, my boat captain John Pellegrin asked me if I heard about the flamingos on Raccoon Island.
“There’s 13 of them out there,” he said. “I can take you to see them if you want to.”
Myself, son-in-law, a friend of his, and my grandson, had just put a smack down on speckled trout. It was only 9:30 a.m. and the water was like glass. What’s more, we had to run right past Raccoon Island anyway.
“Sure,” I said, and off we went.
In George H. Lowery Junior’s book, Louisiana Birds Third Edition, he says flamingos are very rare or irregular in Louisiana. He mentions how the occasional stray or individual could wander northward from perhaps the Yucatan Peninsula or possibly even be driven by hurricanes that sweep from that direction.
Delaina LeBlanc, Biological Resources Coordinator for Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, said, “We can’t be certain when or why this current group of flamingos arrived in Louisiana. The first I heard of them — originally reported as 13 birds at Raccoon Island — was at the State of the Coast Conference on May 22, when a colleague shared a photo that was taken that morning.”
“While there are earlier records of flamingo sightings,” LeBlanc continued, “this is the largest number observed at one time.”
Raccoon Island is part of the Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands south of Cocodrie. Besides Raccoon, the barrier islands are made of Wine, Trinity/East, and Whiskey Islands. This Island chain provides important protection from erosion and hurricane damage to the mainland north of the Islands.
Raccoon Island is one of the most important waterbird nesting areas along the Gulf Coast. The island chain also was part of the important Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries relocation project that helped restore Brown Pelican populations to the coastline.
Barrier island chains are also important for all species of shore birds of which many like black skimmers, red knots, and Wilson’s plovers are of conservation concern. All of these birds can nest on these barrier islands without mammalian predators such as coyotes, skunks, raccoons, and foxes disturbing them.
In his book, Lowery describes flamingos as both heron-like and swan-like, but also resembling ibis. Flamingos have filter-feeding beaks that strain tiny plants, animals, and seeds when feeding. By description, their feet are also webbed with an elevated hind toe.
Flamingos get their name from the Portuguese/Spanish word for flame-colored. What’s more, they seem to be enjoying their spring and summer and are in no hurry to leave as fall approaches.
LeBlanc said, “Flamingos typically inhabit coastal lagoons and estuaries. They feed on aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans, which contain carotenoids — pigments responsible for the bird’s pink coloration.”
How long will the flamingos stick around is anyone’s guess. There is no recorded nesting of this species in Louisiana.
LeBlanc said, “While flamingos construct distinctive mud nests shaped like truncated cones with shallow bowls, there have been no documented cases of breeding in Louisiana. Elsewhere, nesting has been recorded from March through August.”
Flamingos seem to be well suited physically for our barrier islands. They range from 3.3 to 4.6 feet in height and have a wingspan that ranges from 3.3 to 5.6 feet. From my short observation they seem to get along well with the pelicans, gulls, plovers, terns, and skimmers scattered everywhere along the bank of the Island.
The barrier islands are a beautiful paradise along our coast teeming with shorebirds.
For now, the colorful Flamingos are a unique species hanging out along the barrier islands south of Cocodrie. We might as well enjoy them while they’re here.
John K. Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.