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RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE AMERICAN FLAMINGO AS THE OFFICIAL BIRD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

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WHEREAS, the American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), also called the Caribbean flamingo, is one of the largest flamingo species in the world and stands approximately five feet tall; and
WHEREAS, the American flamingo, with its luminous pink plumage and characteristic tall, graceful poise, is iconic in its association with the state of Florida; and
WHEREAS, in the 1800s, large flocks of American flamingos foraged in the Florida Keys and Florida Bay, with some observed by famed ornithologist John James Audubon; and
WHEREAS, American flamingos are historical residents of Florida, but overhunting around the turn of the 20th century resulted in their disappearance from the state; and
WHEREAS, by 1925, captive breeding in South Florida had reintroduced them to the state and there is evidence that some flamingos migrated to Florida on their own throughout the 1900s; and
WHEREAS, today, American flamingos can be observed along much of the Florida coast, although they are most commonly seen in Hialeah, the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and the Florida Keys; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to proclaim the American flamingo as the official bird of Miami-Dade County,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board hereby designates the American flamingo as the official bird of Miami-Dade County.