This past year, the Eurasian eagle-owl, Flaco, lived as a local celebrity. During the vandalization of his habitat at the Central Park Zoo, he escaped and made the city, at large, his new home. Flaco sightings were all the rage. Like most Central Park runners, I’d seen Flaco on a few of my regular 10k runs around the park. He was an amusing character, for sure. Always chillin’ in plain sight, doing owl stuff. He died this past weekend after colliding with a window. Flaco was and forever will be New York AF! Here’s how New Yorkers have been honoring him.
A Memorial at Flaco’s Favorite Tree in Central Park
Flaco’s fans placed flowers, cards, art, notes, and stuffed animals at his favorite oak tree. You can visit the temporary memorial on the west side of East Drive at 104th Street.
Calichoart’s Flaco Mural ALONG The Bowery’s Freeman Alley
Calicho Arevalo is known for “paintings, murals, sculptures, and digital art.” Going by the name “Calichoart,” you can see the artist’s Flaco street art at Freeman Alley, New York, NY 10002.
The artist also has Flaco art and apparel here.
Get Involved
Wild Bird Fund was one of the first advocates for Flaco’s welfare during his dramatic escape. Being hatched in captivity and later brought to New York, there were some initial concerns. Flaco was around 13 years old at the time of his escape. The organization is “New York City’s only wildlife rehabilitation and education center.” Flaco isn’t the first bird in the city suspected to have been a victim of a “bird strike.”
One study suggests 621 million and 1.7 billion birds die in the United States each year because of them, the New York Times wrote. New York City accounts for about 250,000 bird strikes each year. I’ve helped after seeing one happen last year—a pigeon. According to Wild Bird Fund, “New York City is a major stopover on the East Coast migratory flyway.” Over 350 species of birds make the city their home during the spring and fall migrations. Wild Bird Fund offers a few ways you could help care for and rehabilitate distressed wildlife.
Many may see us city dwellers as rude, always in a rush, materialistic and disconnected from nature. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Many of us are runners, hikers, climbers, tree and animal lovers. New Yorkers—urban and rural—are very in tune with all 54,000 square miles of this swath of land and its nature. And we aren’t in short supply of diverse birders. Flaco was one of us, New York AF!
