For nearly 100 years, the mockingbird has represented Florida. Now, we have a rare opportunity to honor a bird that is as bold, resilient, and unmistakable as the Sunshine State itself.

The Florida House has voted—by an overwhelming margin of 112–1—to make the American flamingo our new state bird. The bill now moves to the Florida Senate, where its future will be decided.

This is more than a symbolic change. The flamingo is woven into Florida’s identity. From the Everglades to the Keys, from vintage postcards to airport terminals, the flamingo has long stood as a cultural icon of our state. But it is not just a symbol of tourism or nostalgia. Scientific research from the University of Central Florida confirms that flamingos are native to Florida. Once found in flocks numbering in the hundreds across South Florida, they were hunted to local extinction in the early 1900s. Today, thanks to conservation efforts and habitat restoration, they are returning.

Designating the American flamingo as Florida’s state bird would recognize both our natural heritage and our commitment to protecting it. It would send a message that Florida values its unique ecosystems and the wildlife that depends on them. At the same time, the proposal respects tradition by maintaining the Florida scrub jay as the official state songbird—honoring a species found nowhere else in the world.

Republicans and Democrats alike supported this effort in the House because they recognize that the flamingo represents something bigger than partisanship: it represents Florida.

We urge the Florida Senate to pass the bill designating the American flamingo as our official state bird. Let’s celebrate the wildlife, resilience, and beauty that make Florida unlike anywhere else.