No one knows how a pink flamingo got into the South Bay National Wildlife Refuge just north of Imperial Beach.

The mystery began Tuesday afternoon, when birder Nickademus de la Rosa spotted the flamingo in the ponds north of Rainbow Drive and Highway 75.

De la Rosa, who was driving to Imperial Beach to eat tacos, was shocked to see the tropical bird in the South Bay. He pulled over and took out a pair of binoculars.

“I know it’s mainly a Florida bird so it’s not supposed to be in San Diego at all,” he said. “My initial thought was that it escaped the zoo or it is somebody’s pet.”


Birders called the City of Imperial Beach, who called U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“To my knowledge, this has never happened before,” said Ranger Lisa Cox. “The cool thing is we have a refuge for him or her – we don’t know yet.”

The pink bird spent Valentine’s Day alone eating worms and other insects throughout the wildlife refuge, Cox said.

“He seems to like it a lot, he’s just hanging out there,” she added.


Rangers haven’t gotten close enough to the bird to find out if its wings have been clipped or if it can fly. They have no idea how it ended up in the South Bay.

The only possible clue to the flamingo’s origins is a metal or plastic tag with a number on it. But officials haven’t linked the tag to an owner.

The city of Imperial Beach called the San Diego Zoo to ask if this is one of their birds.

“They are taking inventory,” the city wrote on their Facebook page. “We suspect they’ve had to start recounting several times because the birds won’t stand still.”


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