Pjetar Nikac, a super of a high rise on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, saw an object in the building’s courtyard. As he got closer, he identified the body of an owl and knew immediately it was Flaco, a rare Eurasian Eagle owl that was New York City’s avian celebrity. Flaco had crashed into the building and, while still alive, would soon after die from his wounds.
Flaco’s flight to freedom in February of 2023 happened after his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo, where he had lived for over ten years, was vandalized. Soon after his escape, there were owl sightings in Central Park and around the upper west side of Manhattan. Not only was Flaco a rare bird, but now he was thought to be the only Eurasian Eagle owl living in the wild in North America. As one of the largest species of owls in the world, he was a magnificent sight with pronounced ear tufts and bright orange eyes.
When Flaco first escaped, pictures captured him looking lost or confused. Staff at the zoo tried to lure him with food, trying to capture him for his own safety. But Flaco seemed to settle into the park and the surroundings near his zoo home, quickly learning to hunt his own food for the first time in his life.
Flaco instantly drew a following of birders, photographers, and New Yorkers of all stripes who cheered for him. Fans who spotted him noted that he looked confident and seemed to be enjoying himself. Efforts to rescue Flaco ended when he appeared to be doing well in the wild.
In November of 2023, Flaco left the confines of Central Park. Birders suspected that he was looking for a mate when his calls went unanswered. People empathized with Flaco. Even Dr. Ruth Westheimer, renowned sex therapist, joined the conversation on social media: “I say Flaco and every single person should never give up on finding a mate and it was very wise of this owl to look elsewhere since no other owls were in Central Park.”
While out of the confines of the park, birders continued to monitor his every move. City residents worried about his risk of poisoning from ingesting a rat or getting hit by a car. Central Park had restrictions for poisoning rodents that didn’t exist outside of the park. New Yorkers celebrated his freedom while, at the same time, remained concerned about his welfare in a city where he was almost certain to die prematurely.
After the announcement of Flaco’s death, New Yorkers gathered in Central Park and his other favorite haunts to mourn this bird with the fiery eyes and talk about what he represented to them. The New York Times shared a story on some of these responses. For example, Mr. Lozano thought of Flaco as his therapist. Spending time around the bird inspired him to quit a photography job he disliked and start his own company. “Flaco helped me find freedom.” As an immigrant in the city, he saw the bird’s fight for survival as representing the journey of so many New Yorkers.
Marianne Demarco lived in an apartment building across from where Flaco died. She met many of her neighbors in her Manhattan high rise because the owl chose her building as one of his preferred hangouts. Ms. Demarco tearfully told the Times’ reporter that the bird was something her and her neighbors could connect around, communally trying to protect him. She described Flaco’s death as “the end of a dream that we were hoping to hold on to.”
New Yorkers came together in their care, concern for, and admiration of this bird with the fiery eyes. To some, his death made his capacity to thrive in the wild bittersweet. Perhaps Flaco's life and death is a sort of metaphor for the desire for freedom and its risks. His capacity to adapt, to connect with his wild nature, is inspiring. Flaco, who while in captivity never had to fend for himself, surprised many as he accessed his wild, true nature and took care of himself.
In addition to falling in love with Flaco and how he captivated the city, I love how he engaged the human capacity for collective care. And Flaco ignited the very real instinct to root for the underdog.
The gatherings around favorite trees where Flaco was spotted are an opportunity for grieving: Not only the loss of this beloved owl, but also the loss of the opportunity to have something to come together around in a collective act of care. Who knows? Perhaps Flaco will continue to inspire others to connect, to live boldly, and to care for the underdogs and the vulnerable.