Say WHAT?! First-of-its-Kind Flamingo Spotted in Michigan

I've seen tons of flamingos in my life, mostly in zoos or when visiting my grandparents as a child at the winter home in Naples, Florida.

I never imagined that I could possibly see one wandering around in Michigan, especially in September.

But, that's exactly what a group of Michigan hunters found amongst their decoys recently, according to the Facebook group ABA Rare Bird Alert. While the birds haven't been confirmed, it appears the first-ever flamingos were spotted right off Lake Michigan earlier this week.

According to the post, the bird was found by hunters in Saginaw Bay just outside of Sebewaing in Huron County on October 11th. And it goes without saying, this is an obvious state first if experts accept the sighting.

These aren't the first flamingos that have been spotted near Lake Michigan. A few were spotted last month on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, not far from Milwaukee. And it seems like our flamingo friend got here the same way those did.

How exactly did a flamingo get to Michigan?

Wildlife biologists believe that the flamingos were pushed north in late August by the strong winds of Hurricane Idalia. They've also been spotted in eleven other states like Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Indiana. So, I guess it was only a matter of time until they made it to the mitten state.

Now how will they get home? That's a question no one seems to have an answer for because they hope the birds will find their way south on their own. But I'm very concerned that they won't do so well once our cold Michigan winter weather hits in the next month or so.