Photo: Igor Rybaltchenko / 500px / Getty Images
FLORIDA - Florida lawmakers are once again considering a change to the state’s official bird.
A new proposal, Senate Bill 150, filed by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez of Doral, would designate the American flamingo as Florida’s state bird and the Florida scrub-jay as the official state songbird.
The northern mockingbird has held the title since 1927, but supporters of the change say the flamingo better represents Florida’s identity and natural environment.
The mockingbird is also the state bird of four other states, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas, while the flamingo has long been associated with Florida through tourism and state imagery, including its use by the Florida Lottery.
Although flamingos can occasionally be seen in the state, their population declined significantly in the 19th century due to hunting and habitat loss, and they are now more commonly found in the Caribbean.
The Florida scrub-jay, on the other hand, is the only bird species found exclusively in Florida.
It inhabits scrub regions of central Florida and parts of the Atlantic coast, but its population has been shrinking because of development and habitat destruction.
Senate Bill 150 was referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government, and the Rules Committee.
Similar bills have been introduced in previous legislative sessions but have not passed.
Lawmakers are expected to debate the proposal during the upcoming session.