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RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD DESIGNATE THE AMERICAN FLAMINGO AS THE OFFICIAL FLORIDA STATE BIRD

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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, despite the American flamingo s cultural and historical association with the state of Florida, the Florida Legislature designated the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) as the official state bird in 1927, and this designation remains in effect; and
WHEREAS, Florida is one of five states that has designated the northern mockingbird as the official state bird; and
WHEREAS, members of the Florida Legislature have, on numerous occasions, introduced and considered legislation to replace the northern mockingbird with the American flamingo as the official state bird; and
WHEREAS, accordingly, this Board wishes to support legislation that would designate the American flamingo as the official Florida state bird,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the Florida Legislature to enact legislation that would designate the American flamingo as the official Florida state bird.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, the Senate President, the House Speaker, and the Chair and remaining Members of the Miami-Dade State Legislative Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County s state lobbyists to advocate for the legislation described in section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2027 State Legislative Package when it is presented to the Board.