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TPA's giant flamingo officially has a name

The person who submitted the winning name will receive airline tickets, a VIP Experience package to Busch Gardens — and, of course, bragging rights.

TAMPA, Fla. — After more than 65,000 entries and 37,000 votes from around the world, Tampa International Airport's giant pink flamingo officially has a name.

Phoebe.

For submitting the winning name, Bryan M. will receive four roundtrip tickets for them and a few friends on Silver Airways, a VIP Experience package to Busch Gardens — and, of course, bragging rights.

Bryan, a 63-year-old retired educator, wrote the following with his submission:

"A play on Phoenicopterus, the flamingo's scientific name 'Phoebe' is also a playful alliterative to flamingo and means brilliantly inquisitive. The overall 'Home' sculpture is literally brilliant and reveals the flamingo's inquisitiveness as it hunts for food in the shallows."

TPA launched a contest to "Name the Flamingo" in November and revealed the three finalist names — Cora, Finn and Phoebe — on Dec. 30.

The names were originally set to be revealed on Dec. 16, but the process was delayed as the judges needed more time to narrow down the "high volume of entries."

Voting was then opened up to the public to select the final name.

The 21-foot, very Instagrammable bird sculpture became an instant staple at Tampa International Airport, with travelers from across the globe stopping to snap selfies with it as they head to their gates.

The floor-to-ceiling flamingo piece by artist Matthew Mazzotta was first announced back in 2020. Made of resin and fiberglass, the sculpture is officially named "HOME." Though as the bird started gaining attention upon its installation, both the artist and the airport agreed it needed a more personal moniker.

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