New bill seeks again to make the flamingo the official state bird

Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Florida Legislature isn’t scheduled to meet again until January 2026, but already a familiar bill has been introduced for the session. House Bill 11, which State Representatives Chip LaMarca of Lighthouse Point and Jim Mooney of Islamorada filed jointly on Sept. 4, seeks to change the official state bird from the mockingbird to the flamingo, making for the ninth such attempt in 28 years. Advocates of the bill note that four other states claim the mock