It’s official: the flamingo is now Miami-Dade County’s bird. Miami-Dade County has officially designated the American flamingo to be the county bird. The decision highlights the cultural and ecological significance of the flamingo across the state. The flamingo has long been seen as an inseparable part of Florida’s identity for decades, making notable appearances in the opening scenes of “Miami Vice” and even being featured on the logo for the Florida Lottery. While flamingos are not currently protected under state or federal endangered species laws, their numbers in Florida have seen a promising uptick. Zoo Miami previously said that the famous birds, which once neared extinction due to hunting, are making a comeback most noticeably in the Everglades and Florida Bay. The move by Miami-Dade comes as Florida state legislators consider replacing the northern mockingbird with the flamingo as the official state bird. ...read more read less