AP PHOTOS: Chickens take over Miami while some embrace roosters as a cultural symbol

Flamingos, pelicans, herons and parrots are just a few of the wild birds that call Miami home, but it’s the roosters, hens and baby chicks that have come to rule the roost in recent years. Not only found in residential neighborhoods like Little Havana, Little Haiti and Wynwood, the fowl families are also making their home among the high-rises and government buildings downtown. And while some find the crowing to be a nuisance, many have adopted the rooster as an unofficial mascot for the city.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

A rooster walks in a park outside of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A rooster walks on a residential street in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A sculpture of a rooster is displayed on Calle Ocho in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Jakelin Llaguna, owner of the Little Havana Visitor Center, poses for a portrait with a sculpture of a rooster on Calle Ocho in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

People take photographs next to a mural featuring a rooster on Calle Ocho in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Julia Molchaniuk, left, and Sasha Molchaniuk, right, photograph roosters in a park outside of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A rooster sits outside of the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United Sates Courthouse, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Roosters walk in a park outside of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Alfredo Perez walks past a sculpture of a rooster on Calle Ocho in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A rooster walks on the pavement outside of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Torrential rains and flooding have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and authorities warned Friday that more severe weather was expected across several countries in southern Africa.

South Africa has reported at least 19 deaths in two of its northern provinces following heavy rains that began last month and led to severe flooding.

Tourists and staff members were evacuated this week by helicopter from flooded camps to other areas in the renowned Kruger National Park, which is closed to visitors while parts of it are inaccessible because of washed out roads and bridges, South Africa's national parks agency said.

In neighboring Mozambique, the Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people had died in an unusually severe rainy season since late last year. Those deaths were from various causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning in floods, infrastructure collapse caused by the severe weather and cholera, the institute said.

The worst flooding in Mozambique has been in the central and southern regions, where more than 200,000 people have been affected, thousands of homes have been damaged, while tens of thousands face evacuation, the World Food Program said.

Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said that 70 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in heavy rains since the beginning of the year, while infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges collapsed.

Flooding has also hit the island nation of Madagascar off the coast of Africa as well as Malawi and Zambia. Authorities in Madagascar said 11 people died in floods since late November.

The United States' Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven southern African nations, possibly due to the presence of the La Nina weather phenomenon that can bring heavy rains to parts of southeastern Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken areas in the northern Limpopo province on Thursday and said that region had received around 400 millimeters (more than 15 inches) of rain in less than a week. He said that in one district he visited “there are 36 houses that have just been wiped away from the face of the Earth. Everything is gone ... the roofs, the walls, the fences, everything.”

The flooding occurred in the Limpopo and Mpumalanaga provinces in the north, and the South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for parts of the country for Friday, warning of more heavy rain and flooding that poses a threat to lives and could cause widespread infrastructure damage.

The huge Kruger wildlife park, which covers some 22,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) across the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, has been impacted by severe flooding and around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas in the park, Kruger National Park spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.

He couldn't immediately say how many people there were in the park, which has been closed to visitors after several rivers burst their banks and flooded camps, restaurants and other areas. The parks agency said precautions were being taken and no deaths or injuries had been reported at Kruger.

The South African army sent helicopters to rescue other people trapped on the roofs of their houses or in trees in northern parts of the country, it said. An army helicopter also rescued border post officers and police officers stranded at a flooded checkpoint on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border.

Southern Africa has experienced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, including devastating cyclones and a scorching drought that caused a food crisis in parts of a region that often suffers food shortages.

The World Food Program said more than 70,000 hectares (about 173,000 acres) of crops in Mozambique, including staples such as rice and corn, have been waterlogged in the current flooding, worsening food insecurity for thousands of small-scale farmers who rely on their harvests for food.

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP writers Charles Mangwiro in Maputo, Mozambique, and Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed to this report.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)