Pink Flamingos Return to the Everglades

December 28, 2015 by

pink flamingo stretched neckRecently American flamingos made a comeback to South Florida. While the wading bird no longer breeds in the Sunshine State, a population of flamingos returned to the Everglades after over a hundred years of no-shows. Last year, ornithologists counted an astounding 147 flamingos in just one area of the Everglades. They spotted the birds at Stormwater Treatment Area 2 (STA2) in Central Florida.

Back in the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of flamingos could be seen in parts of Southern Florida. But European settlers drove them away through excessive feather and egg collecting. Now, it appears, flamingos are returning to Florida from the Yucatan – or from zoos. It’s difficult to identify whether these birds are wild or captivity escapees, but researchers are attempting to tag the flamingos with satellite transmitters to learn more about their travel patterns.

While we don’t know exactly why flamingos returned to Florida or where they came from, we do know a lot about their habits. The tall, light-weight birds travel in large flocks and display unique social characteristics. For instance, the birds often mate for life. Even more amazingly, flamingos court one another in flocks. That’s right: an entire tribe of flamingos synchronizes its mating march. Often, each bird engages in “head flagging,” waving its head from side to side. Witnessing such a show can be just as comical as it is impressive.

In a flamingo family, the male and female share child rearing responsibilities. Both parties fashion a nest, incubate the egg and protect it from harm. Once hatched, adult flamingos feed their chicks “crop milk,” which is produced from the throats of both male and female birds. Chicks are born white or gray with straight beaks, and it takes one to two years for them to develop traditional flamingo characteristics like pink feathers and a curved beak.

Why are flamingos pink?

You may wonder why flamingos aren’t born with pink feathers. Well, their vibrant color is entirely attributed to their beta-Carotene diet, which contains a red-orange pigment. Because chicks don’t immediately dine on the crustaceans and plankton adult flamingos do, it takes them a couple years to glow pink. Without these beta-Carotene-rich meals, an adult flamingo’s feathers will turn white.

Why do flamingos stand on one leg?

While it’s not widely known why flamingos stand on one leg, some believe they do so to conserve body heat while resting. Another theory claims the pink birds simply take a one-legged stance for comfort. We hope it’s comfortable since flamingos will stand like this for hours at a time – quite the balancing act!

See flamingos in the Everglades

Flamingos often congregate on mudflats throughout the Everglades. The best way to spot one is by taking an airboat tour, which will expose you to a vast array of Everglades wilderness. To schedule your chance to see a flamingo, click here or contact Captain Mitch’s Everglades Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377.

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Florida Black Bears in the Everglades

December 14, 2015 by

Black Bear in the EvergladesDid you know Florida is home to over 2,500 bears? The Florida Black Bear, the state’s only resident bear, is Florida’s largest land-based mammal. These gentle giants, ranging from 125-450 pounds, live in seven isolated subpopulations from the Panhandle down to the Everglades.

Why do black bears live in the Everglades?

Florida black bears seek solace in the Everglades because it’s a protected wilderness where wildlife can live free, devoid of most human interference. Most black bears in Florida reside in protected parks where they can live their solitary, reclusive lives in peace.

Florida black bears are unique because they adapted to thrive in a subtropical habitat, something no other black bear subspecies has accomplished. They live in South Florida habitats like sand-pine scrub, hardwood forests, pine rocklands, forested sloughs and oak scrub, all of which exist in the Everglades.

The Everglades is a utopia for a Florida black bear because it’s home to plentiful plant life, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of a black bear’s diet. The sabal palmetto, a native tree in the Everglades, is just one shrub black bears dine on.

Human impact on the Florida black bear

Even with protected wildernesses like the Everglades, Ocala National Forest and Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida black bears experience habitat reduction. In fact, Florida black bears lose 20 acres of habitat an hour. At one time, each of their seven subpopulations all connected from South Florida up to the Panhandle. Now these habitats are isolated due to human development like roads, buildings, etc.

And with these new human developments come more bear deaths. Roadkill is a black bear’s primary cause of death in Florida with traffic collisions responsible for nearly 90 percent of bear deaths. On average, roughly 100 bears die per year due road-related incidents. Stay alert while driving through bear country at night as black bears are most active after sunset.

What to do if you encounter a black bear in the Everglades

While Florida has never seen a predatory black bear attack on humans, people have been injured when a bear feels the need to defend itself, its cubs or its food. It’s important to know how to react if you encounter a bear. Here are some dos and don’ts when you see a Florida black bear:

DO: back away slowly. Never turn your back to a bear. Move slowly backward in the way you came, holding your hands up in retreat. Remember not to make eye contact with the bear, as they often associate this with an act of aggression.

DON’T: run away or climb a tree. Black bears can run faster than you and climb better than you. If you run, they’ll likely perceive you as a threat, or possibly as prey, and chase you – at 30 miles per hour. Florida black bears can climb as high as 100 feet in a minute flat, so keep to lower ground.

DO: make noise. First try blasting a whistle or banging equipment together. Often, this will scare a bear away. If the bear doesn’t leave, speak to it calmly. Even though it can’t understand what you’re saying, it can perceive your tone.

DON’T: feed the bear. The last thing you want is for a bear to associate you with food. Feeding a bear will not only desensitize a bear to you but to all humans. This is one of the main reasons bears become aggressive, which ultimately results in their euthanization.

See Everglades wildlife by airboat

For a chance to see the Florida black bear and other Everglades wildlife, reserve an airboat tour. Everglades airboat tours expose you to the most dynamic flora and fauna the region has to offer. To book your Everglades airboat tour today, click here or call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377.

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The Everglades: So Much More Than a National Park

December 8, 2015 by

Florida Everglades LakeDid you know the Everglades isn’t only protected by the United States? In addition to its national park status, it’s also internationally recognized as a highly important piece of land. Why? Well, the reasons are abundant, which is why the Everglades is designated not only as a national park but also as a biosphere reserve, a world heritage site and a wetland of international importance. In essence, the Everglades is a vital part of not just Southwest Florida or the United States, but of the world as a whole.

So why is the Everglades so important?

The entire world knows the Everglades a big deal, but why? In a word: biodiversity. Its unique flora and fauna, spread across over 1.5 million acres, make it a sanctuary for endangered species as well as a spacious home to countless thriving plants and animals. The Everglades is responsible for protecting roughly 15 federally threatened and endangered species like crocodiles, sea turtles, West Indian manatees, wood storks, Florida panthers, and more.

And the Everglades doesn’t just preserve exotic animals. It maintains one of the vastest pine rockland habitats in the world. On top of that, it shelters over 1,000 species of plants and over 350 species of birds, some of which are rare or endangered. And as a whole, the Everglades is the single largest area of land east of the Mississippi River where plants and animals are granted immunity from human intervention. As a protected wilderness area, the construction of roads and buildings are forbidden, thus deeming the Everglades a massive natural area where its inhabitants can flourish.

This unique collection of plant of wildlife is why the Everglades is a designated biosphere reserve, world heritage site and wetland of international importance. But what’s the difference between the three?

The Everglades as a Biosphere Reserve

The Everglades is one of 563 worldwide biosphere reserves. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), biosphere reserves essentially serve as “living laboratories,” which assist in understanding biodiversity. Scientific researchers use biosphere reserves to learn not only about the land but also how humans affect it. From this research, we can adjust our behaviors to better preserve these important wilderness areas. UNESCO designated the Everglades as an International Biosphere Reserve under the Man and the Biosphere project in 1976.

The Everglades as a World Heritage Site

World heritage sites, as deemed by UNESCO, are “recognized as being of outstanding international importance and therefore as deserving special protection.” The World Heritage Convention operates under the umbrella of UNESCO to determine whether a site merits world heritage status. Sites are natural or man-made, and there are currently 1,031 world heritage properties spread across the globe. The Everglades joined the World Heritage List in 1979 for its subtropical biodiversity. The designation emphasizes the bond between humans and nature and the importance of preserving this bond for generations to come.

The Everglades as a Wetland of International Importance

Also known as a Ramsar Site, Wetlands of International Importance have protection under a multi-country treaty to preserve the resources found in each wilderness. Established in Ramsar, Iran in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands ensures rare and biologically diverse wetlands remain intact. There are presently 1,929 wetland sites on the Ramsar List. The designation highlights a wetlands’ scientific, economic, recreational and cultural value. In 1987, the Ramsar Convention acknowledged the Everglades as a Wetland of International Importance.

See what the hype is all about

Organizations across the globe work to protect the Everglades for your enjoyment. Do you want to experience this international treasure firsthand? Take a trip to the Everglades for a chance to see endangered and exotic plant and wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. The optimal way to see the Everglades in all its glory is by airboat. Contact Captain Mitch’s Everglade Airboat Tours by clicking here or calling 239-695-3377 to schedule your Everglades airboat adventure today.

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Short-finned pilot whales in the Everglades

December 4, 2015 by

Pilot WhalesIf you see short-finned pilot whales in the Everglades, your first thought is probably how majestic and beautiful they look. But your second realization should be how much danger they might be in. A couple of years ago, dozens of pilot whales died in the Everglades.

When pilot whales end up in shallow waters like Florida Bay of the Everglades, they’re stranded. Literally. “Stranding” occurs when a whale or pod of whales ventures into dangerously low water levels and ends up on the shore. This is also called beaching, where the marine mammals are incapable of returning to deeper water. Unless saved by humans, they die of dehydration or drown due to water entering their blowholes during high tide.

Because whales are incredibly social animals, pods typically wind up stranded together. If one whale encounters danger, other whales will come to their aid and refuse to leave them, thus resulting in mass deaths. Even if a pilot whale isn’t necessarily “beached,” it’s still at risk of death when in shallow water. Shallow water causes their bodies to collapse or it can even cause drowning. If you see a pilot whale in the Everglades, contact someone to confirm whether the whale and its pod is in danger.

It isn’t widely known exactly why pilot whales and other cetaceans strand themselves. Some scientists and researchers attribute this to human-related activities like military sonar or pollution (think oil spills) while others believe stranding occurs due to red tides, waterborne diseases or trauma. Regardless of the reason, pilot whale strandings are a common occurrence. While pilot whales are not currently endangered, strandings should be monitored closely to ensure pilot whale populations aren’t depleting.

Spotting short-finned pilot whales

Did you know there’s more than one kind of pilot whale? You’ll only find short-finned pilot whales in South Florida as they’re attracted to temperate, tropical waters. Their relative, the long-finned pilot whale, frequents cool waters. Mannerisms and intelligence levels of short-finned pilot whales are very similar to that of bottlenose dolphins. Females range in size from 12 to 18 feet while males can grow up to 24 feet. Spotting a short-finned pilot whale isn’t as easy as identifying a dolphin as pilot whales rarely breach. Look out for heads poking out of the water or flukes slapping the water’s surface.

See all the animals of the Everglades

The best way to experience all of the Everglades exquisite flora and fauna is by airboat. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours guarantee a thrilling ride, exposing you to all the natural wonders found in the Everglades. To schedule an airboat tour, click here or call 239-695-3377.

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