TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The battle for Florida birds has once again taken hold in the state legislature.
The state Senate and House twin bill proposes that American flamingos and Florida scrub Jays will acquire the title of state birds.
American flamingos are official state birds, while Florida scrub jays become official state songbirds.
Currently, the state bird is a northern mockingbird, designated almost 100 years ago in 1927.
It’s not the first time lawmakers have proposed a change. The bill to change the state’s birds was introduced in 2024, but never reached the governor’s desk.
The northern mockingbirds can be found statewide and across the country, and are birds from Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.
However, American Flamingo and Florida Scrub Jay are more distinctive than Florida, making them nominees for the official title.
Flamingos are mostly found in the Caribbean, but can be seen in South Florida and Keys.
The plume trade and the drainage of the Everglades in the 19th century destroyed the flamingo population of Florida.
Currently, only about 100 wild flamingos remain in Florida, but the population is growing.
For Scrub Jay, the Sunshine State is the only place in the world they call home.
It is only one of the many native birds in the state found here, giving it a competitive edge in the battle of the top spot.
Like the Blue Jay, the Scrub Jay is blue and gray, but lacks the wings and clear head marks that the Blue Jays have.
Scrub Jay is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is primarily threatened by habitat loss and development that fragments the population into small groups.
The state has between 7,700 and 9,300 scrub Jays remaining, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The push to change the state’s birds has been going on for years, but it remains to be seen if this is a year that will stick.
