Idalia Aftermath: American Flamingos Seen in South Carolina Feeding on Crustaceans

(Photo : John Moore / Getty Images)
Experts say sightings of American flamingos in South Carolina are of Tropical Storm Idalia's aftermath.

Two American flamingos were spotted in South Carolina munching on crustaceans, possibly as an aftermath of Tropical Storm Idalia, which may have blown the non-native animals into the region.

Tropical Storm Idalia Aftermath

After spotting a pair of American flamingos over the weekend, visitors to Bulls Island received an unexpected treat from Tropical Storm Idalia.

On Sept. 1, a Coastal Expeditions conservationist from Charleston was out for a hike in the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge when she spotted two pink birds, according to Katie Morrison, the tour company's director of education.

Another salmon-colored bird that occasionally visits South Carolina is the roseate spoonbill, which the employee assumed to be.

But the flamingos were easily identified by their shorter, skinnier necks and small, pointed beaks.

Everyone scrambled to get a peek of it for themselves when the woman told her crew, according to Morrison. She observed the birds happily feasting on crabs in a pond later that evening.

Displaced American Flamingos

The Caribbean Islands and the northern coast of South America are home to American flamingos.

According to Nathan Dias, a resident of Charleston, seeing one in the Palmetto State is about as rare as it gets. The Sept. 1 encounter was reported to Dias, a well-known ornithologist, by friends, and he wasn't shocked.

Hurricanes displacing birds, according to Dias, is a well-known occurrence.

Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend region, then pummeled the Lowcountry on August 30 with a ton of wind and rain.

Sea birds are frequently driven ashore by strong storms, according to Dias.

The flamingos, however, were transported north by Idalia's winds in this instance, where they were left in wholly unrelated settings.

The pink birds were seen as far away as Tennessee and Ohio.

In South Carolina, Dias said he isn't overly concerned about the flamingos' capacity to live.

On Sept. 3, he only observed one of the birds. It moved around Upper Summerhouse Pond, a former impoundment for a rice field, agitating the bottom.

Dias observed the bird as it dipped its head upside down, its lengthy neck buried in the water, perhaps chowing down on zooplankton and crustaceans.

The ornithologist anticipates that any flamingos that arrived in South Carolina following Idalia may fly briefly down the coast, seeking safety in salt marshes before eventually making their way to Florida.

According to Dias, the occurrence of the phenomenon seems to have increased in recent years.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in September and October of 2017, people in the McClellanville region took pictures of a flamingo.

Conservationists concurred at the time that it was a wild bird that had been brought in by the storm.

Dias claimed that he was unsure of how to interpret the alleged increase. But it's unquestionably fun for birders.

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Wildlife and Weather

Storms' precipitation, wind, and debris harm or kill animals, destroy their habitats, contaminate food and water sources, and significantly alter their environments.

Strong winds and rain have the potential to result in broken limbs, head injuries, breathing difficulties, and illnesses from getting water in the lungs.

Animals are abandoned and forced to move.

If the animals could obtain care, many of these issues wouldn't be fatal, but most of the time they can't.

If they are found lost on someone's lawn after being blown into metropolitan areas, some lucky mammals and birds receive care.