A popular social media meme asks, “if you followed your dream job, what would you be right now?” Once I wanted to be an ornithologist, or a person who studies birds. My dad had a set of National Audubon Society Field Guides, and I loved looking through the volume about birds with its bright red textured plastic cover. I soon learned to identify many native birds, from sparrows to killdeers. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we would spot a red-tailed hawk perched on a light pole. But one type of bird has always held a special place in my heart: the owl.

There are over 200 species of owls in the world, but there was only one Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo in 2023. Flaco’s story is at once mundane and remarkable, his journey to freedom and an untimely death made infamous through worldwide news coverage that is not often bestowed upon the birding community. Flaco was hatched in captivity in 2010 and lived for thirteen years in a small enclosure in Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo. His name comes from the Spanish word for “skinny,” and photos from his time at the zoo portray a bird that hardly resembles the one he would become on the outside. On February 2, 2023 Flaco escaped through a hole cut by a vandal in the stainless steel mesh of his cage. Zoo officials and police officers tried to recapture him, but it was no use. Flaco wanted to be free! Soon, he flew back to Central Park, where he took up residence in a large elm tree near the compost heap known as the Mount near Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street. Like many people around the world I became enthralled with Flaco’s indomitable will to defy the odds and make a life for himself outside the confines of the zoo. My family and I even tried to see him for ourselves in July of last year while vacationing in New York City. He eluded us on a rainy afternoon, but looking for “hoo hoo,” as my daughter called him, is a fun memory.

Thanks to social media I found many of the folks who kept Flaco’s fans updated on his whereabouts on a daily basis: David Barrett of Manhattan Bird Alert, photographer and owl enthusiast David Lei, and Mark of Above 96th, among others. They deserve much thanks and admiration for their efforts in sharing Flaco with the world. His fame was also due in large part to his unique and inquisitive personality that developed after his escape. Flaco seemed to enjoy watching his fans as much as they did him! He had his own New York Times reporter, was featured on late night television shows, and even received a humorous profile in The New Yorker. I can think of no other single bird that has ever received so much attention. More than a mascot, Flaco became an icon.

Sadly, Flaco died on February 23, 2024 after colliding with a building. I think we all knew that his time outside the zoo would be limited, but still we hoped that we might be granted more days with Flaco in the world. Indeed, many people have spoken of Flaco as a symbol of hope, and I would have to agree. Emily Dickinson’s posthumously published poem above sprang immediately to mind as I read about Flaco’s death. Many people also have complicated feelings about zoos, myself included. And while Flaco was surviving in the Central Park Zoo, he certainly wasn’t thriving. When he found the hole in his enclosure, he seized the day and— against all the odds in the outside world—he lived the best life that he clearly had been longing to live. Timid at first, he quickly learned to fly, to hunt, and to hoot with the best of them. He was as brave and as fearless as any of us could ever hope to be.

Consider the group of articles below as both a brief history of Flaco’s adventures and a tribute to his extraordinary life.

How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco (Dina Fine Maron, National Geographic, February 23, 2023)

What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York? (Kharishar Kahfi, Audubon, March 7, 2023)

New York’s celebrity owl Flaco is spotted far from Central Park for the first time (James Doubek, NPR, November 7, 2023)

Who freed Flaco? One year later, celebrity owl’s escape from Central Park Zoo remains a mystery (Jake Offenhartz, Associated Press, February 1, 2024)

Flaco the Central Park owl has been free for a year. An NYC photographer looks back (Michael Hill and Amanda Rozon, Gothamist, February 2, 2024)

An outpouring of tears, heartbreak as fans flock to NYC’s Central Park memorial for Flaco the owl (Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, February 25, 2024)

Flaco Never Escaped (Barry Petchesky, Defector, February 26, 2024)

Central Park’s Flaco had a family. Conservationists fear other owls will become targets for release (Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky, Gothamist, February 26, 2024)

Flaco the Owl Was Destined to Die Tragically. The Man Who Followed Him for a Year Reveals Why (Frederick Dreier, Outside, February 27, 2024)

Central Park memorial service for Flaco the owl draws huge crowd (Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, March 3, 2024)

Please consider donating to the Wild Bird Fund, the organization that rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned wildlife and releases them back to the wilds of New York City. You can also sign the petition to honor with a Statue in Central Park. New York legislators and representatives also renamed the The Bird Safe Buildings Act the FLACO Act in his honor. Finally, I also created a free coloring sheet of Flaco that you can print here.