PORT WASHINGTON, WIS. (WWJ) - Wisconsin residents gathered in droves at a Lake Michigan beach after a flock of flamingos appeared wading in the fresh water on Friday.
The five birds -- identified as wild American flamingos that included two, bright pink adults and two grey-feathered juveniles by the to the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology -- were seen taking a dip in the Great Lake at South Beach Park, just north of Milwaukee.
Considered a "once-in-a-lifetime" sight, the flamingos' appearance is Wisconsin's first-ever sighting of the animal. Flamingos normally call tropical and subtropical climates home, including Florida, other states along the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean and northern South America, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute stated.
Now, bird watchers are waiting to see if the Mitten will have a similar experience if the birds make their way across the lake. Just like Wisconsin, wild flamingos have never been reported in Michigan before.
As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, roughly 75 people gathered at the beach to catch a glimpse of the flamingos, who appeared to snooze unbothered by the crowd about 25 feet off the Lake Michigan shoreline.
"This is huge," Jim Edelhuber of Waukesha, an avid bird watcher and photographer, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "This is unbelievable."
Those gathered at the beach stayed a respectful distance away and said they learned about the birds through social media. Others showed up to enjoy the beautiful weather on the last day of summer and realized something special was happening.
"I was going to come out for a late summer swim, and noticed I could barely get into the parking lot…someone said there’s flamingos out there, and I was kind of shocked," said beachgoer Mike Valente. "I think it's once in a lifetime."
Ryan Brady, conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said that while the birds showing up is unprecedented, it is not a total surprise given multiple reports of flamingos popping up in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Wildlife experts can only speculate that the flamingos were forced way north of their usual habitat due to Hurricane Idalia's strong winds when it struck in late August.
Experts told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the birds likely flew in Friday morning and were resting from their long journey. Flamingos are not a migratory species, even though they can fly great distances if needed.
It is currently unknown how long the birds might stay.