New York City’s favorite feathered friend tragically died after crashing into a building on the Upper West Side a year after vandals helped him escape captivity.
Flaco is a rare Eurasian eagle owl that previously made its home at the Central Park Zoo, until the bird was reported missing from its exhibit last February.
It was later revealed that vandals had cut through Flaco’s stainless steel mesh cage and set the owl free in the skies over New York City.
Against all odds, Skinny survived alone, despite fears that his luxurious life at the zoo, where workers fed and cared for him, had set him up for failure.
After a year of thriving in the wild, Flaco was sadly reported to have flown his last flight on Sunday at 3am.
Flaco is a rare Eurasian eagle owl that previously made its home at the Central Park Zoo, until the bird was reported missing from its exhibit last February.
After a year of thriving in the wild, Flaco was sadly reported to have taken his last flight on Sunday at 3am.
The owl was reported to have sadly died after crashing into a water tower on West 86th Street east of Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side.
The owl was reported to have sadly died after crashing into a water tower on West 86th Street east of Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side.
Reports of screams were heard in the area, according to David Barrett’s Manhattan Bird Alert social media account.
The bird’s body was found a few blocks away, confirming what Flaco fans feared after hearing the news of the anguished screams in his usual stomping grounds.
Following Flaco’s disappearance from his Central Park Zoo enclosure last year, a full bird search was launched in an effort to safely return the feathered creature to his home.
He was discovered shortly after being reported missing in the city’s emblematic shopping area on Fifth Avenue.
Flaco was then intercepted by the NYPD on a sidewalk on 60th Street, but was able to escape custody. The next morning he headed to Central Park.
“Our focus and effort at this time is on the safe recovery of the owl,” zoo officials said in a news release. “We will issue updates as necessary.”
Despite the efforts, Flaco maintained his status as a free bird and it was even rumored that he had taken a vacation at his home in Central Park in search of a partner.
Experts believe he left the park in November to look for a mate after he was spotted five miles away on East 3rd Street.
He was thought to be the only member of his species in North America, meaning his search could have extended beyond downtown Manhattan.
Against all odds, Skinny survived alone, despite fears that his luxurious life at the zoo, where workers fed and cared for him, had set him up for failure.
Photographers and birdwatchers from around the world were drawn to New York in February as news of Flaco’s escape spread.
Experts believe he left the park in November to look for a mate after he was spotted five miles away on East 3rd Street.
Following Flaco’s disappearance from his Central Park Zoo enclosure last year, a full bird search was launched in an effort to safely return the feathered creature to his home.
“It’s the time of year when these owls look to pair up if they’re not bonded,” fans tweeted on Manhattan Bird Alert.
‘Flaco’s cries have gone unanswered for a long time.
“He was last observed in Central Park on the afternoon of October 31, and we believe that is when he left.
“He probably made short, incremental night flights in the course of a hunt that took him more than five miles in six days.
“He doesn’t know that there are no companions anywhere in the region.”
Flaco was less than a year old when he arrived at the Central Park Zoo in 2010 and took up residence near the Penguins and Sea Birds building.
He had little chance to develop his flying or hunting skills in captivity, but has thrived since his escape and has been seen eating up to four rats at a time, belying his name, which means “skinny” in Spanish.
His fans were nervous that he would fall victim to the rodenticide used to poison rats, which is believed to have contributed to the death of a barred owl known as Barry, who died in the park in 2021.
New Yorkers will miss Flaco dearly.