BATON ROUGE — It's Carnival Time in the capital city, and that means the flamingos have returned to the lakes!

Every year in the lead-up to the Krewe of Spanish Town's parade, which rolls on Feb. 14 this year, organizers "flock" the University Lakes with painted flamingos. It's become a tradition to go into the lake and take a bird home and display it as Mardi Gras approaches. 

On Monday morning, people were already out on the lakes in canoes to claim their birds.

The flamingos are back home in the lakes for the second year in a row after being displaced in 2024 due to construction in the lakes.