Superb Owl: Flaco Adapts To Life In Central Park, Consumes Rat

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Flaco the owl is beginning to cast off the chains of captivity, forcing the rescue teams from the Central Park Zoo to rethink their strategy.

Since Flaco escaped his cage on Feb. 2 after a still at-large criminal vandal cut open his zoo enclosure, officials and admirers alike have feared that the Eurasian eagle-owl might not be able to feed itself. Some wondered if he even had the wing strength to safely traverse Central Park.

But Flaco has proven to be a surprisingly capable owl.

On Friday, avid Flaco followers found that the flighty bird had finally feasted on a tasty rat, and his fans cheered at the news.

"This is a true success story of how nature prevails against all odds," said bird watcher Anke Frohlich. She's been watching Flaco every day since his escape, and was shocked to see him feasting on a rat.

Flaco was actively hunting tonight at Heckscher Ballfields in #CentralPark and gave some of the most amazing views so far, perching on rocks for several minutes. Shot at 7:04pm, 2 sec exposure.#birdcpp #birdphotography #canonphotography #TwitterNatureCommunity #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/KHgj3MV4iT
— Suresh Easwar (@SEaswarNYC) February 13, 2023

"In the beginning there was great concern regarding whether, after 13 years in captivity confined to a tiny cage, he had enough wing strength to fly. The second question was whether his instincts would kick in and he would remember how to hunt. By now he has become a shining example of just how well nature has equipped all living beings," Frohlich said.

She snapped a picture of Flaco holding his prized rat, "proud, looking at everyone who doubted him," Frohlich said.

Zoo officials are still pursuing rescue efforts, though they admit that Flaco's improving owl skills are making it more difficult.

"We have seen a rapid improvement in his flight skills and ability to confidently maneuver around the park. A major concern for everyone at the beginning was whether Flaco would be able to hunt and eat; that is no longer a concern," the Zoo said in a statement Sunday. "Since our recovery strategies thus far have all been based on luring him to familiar food items, we need to rethink our approach."

Rescue efforts will be less intense now that Flaco's well-being is less of a concern, the Zoo said.

Workers would now "look to opportunistically recover him when the situation is right," the statement read, while also hinting that efforts to track Flaco would rely more heavily on the strong community of birders who have been following his adventure.

Frohlich thinks Flaco might not be on a vacation and could be soon signing a lease on a piece of prime Central Park real estate near Heckscher Fields.

"In the beginning everyone thought he was in need of a rescue, yet at this point it is abundantly clear that he does not need to be rescued any longer. He is doing very well," Frohlich said.

We are relieved and overjoyed that Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, who had spent his entire roughly 13-year life in captivity, has learned to obtain prey and feed himself after a week in the wild of Central Park.
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 12, 2023

Still, dangers lurk outside of the safety of his zoo enclosure.

As a non-native owl living on its own for the first time in over a decade, there could be many skills still not up for life in the big city, as well as other threats.

Cars, for example, kill many owls every year as they fly low to the ground hunting their prey.

And more insidious dangers, like rats filled with municipally-supplied poison, are a threat to all birds of prey in the park.

That threat is speculated to have already contributed to another Central Park owl celebrity death, when Barry, the barred owl who captivated a pandemic-seized city for the greater part of 2020, was struck by a Central Park Conservancy vehicle and was later found to have consumed potent rodenticide.

Last year, another celebrity snowy owl in coastal New Hampshire died from rodenticide poisoning, even after she underwent rehabilitation twice before for eating poison rats.

"The only other danger I can see for Flaco in Central Park is what happened to our beloved Barry," Frohlich said. "On the other hand, we currently have a wild great horned owl that has lived in Central Park for over a year already and is thriving."

"The biggest risk I see for Flaco," Frohlich said, "is that he might end up back in the zoo in his tiny cage."