Flaco: How to Find Updates on New York’s Latest Celebrity Bird

Flaco: How to Find Updates on New York’s Newest Latest Celebrity Bird

We can’t stop thinking about Flaco! The now-famous Eurasian eagle-owl took flight on Feb. 2, when he was freed from his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo by a still-unknown vandal who cut through the stainless steel mesh surrounding his habitat. He had been in captivity since 2010.  

The avian escapist has been in the wild – well, Central Park – for almost three weeks, and despite initial assumptions that he wouldn’t survive on his own, seems to be doing just fine as a free bird. He’s been spotted hunting and eating rats and is displaying rapid improvement in flight skills, according to a statement by the zoo. 

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Last weekend, after thwarting all recovery attempts made by the zoo using dead rats as bait and even trying eagle-owl calls, it was announced that Flaco would be allowed to remain free for now. 

We’re so torn. On one hand, we’re happy for Flaco… But we’re parents. We worry! Is he really ok? What if the rats make him sick? What if someone tries to hurt him? The city isn’t exactly swarming with other Eurasian eagle-owls; is he lonely? Doesn’t he need a friend or two? Someone to shield him from the paparazzi, at least? He surely never got this much attention from his habitat at the zoo.  

On the other hand, Flaco is living his best life! Like a true New Yorker, he has adapted to his environment and is adjusting accordingly. I mean, we’re the city that never sleeps and he’s an OWL. Of course he’s fine! 

For now, all eyes are on Flaco. The zoo will continue to monitor his movements – as will the throngs of onlookers making him very easy to spot – but is “prepared to resume recovery efforts if he shows any sign of difficulty or distress.”

You can find updates about Flaco from the Central Park Zoo at newsroom.wcs.org and you can track his movements on the Manhattan Bird Alert Twitter feed.

It was great to see Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl in a new area of Central Park for him, the North Woods, this Monday evening. pic.twitter.com/HI8ubKyTri

— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 21, 2023