Florida’s long-running debate over its official state bird has resurfaced in the state legislature.

New proposals in both the Senate and House are calling for a change: elevating the American flamingo as the official state bird, while naming the Florida scrub jay as the official state songbird.

Florida’s current state bird, the northern mockingbird, has held the title since 1927. It’s a common sight not just in Florida but across much of the U.S., and also represents several other states, including Texas and Mississippi.

This isn’t the first time a change has been floated — a similar bill was introduced in 2024 but failed to make it to the governor’s desk.

Supporters of the flamingo and scrub jay argue that these birds are more distinctly Floridian. While flamingos are more commonly found in the Caribbean, they’re occasionally spotted in South Florida and the Florida Keys. Once abundant in the state, flamingo numbers dwindled due to the 19th-century plume trade and Everglades habitat loss. Today, only around 100 wild flamingos remain, but their numbers are slowly rebounding.

The Florida scrub jay, on the other hand, is truly unique to the state — it’s the only bird species that lives exclusively in Florida. Unlike its cousin, the blue jay, the scrub jay has a more muted blue and gray coloring and lacks the bold markings.

However, the scrub jay faces threats of its own. Habitat loss and development have fragmented its population, and the bird is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Current estimates suggest just 7,700 to 9,300 remain in the wild.

With renewed momentum, legislators and bird enthusiasts alike are hoping this year might finally bring a change to Florida’s avian emblem.

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