A silent bird predator has spread throughout urban centers that seek an air of “modernity”: buildings with glass facades. Every year thousands of animals, unable to see glass as a barrier to be avoided, die in collisions. In the United States alone, this number reaches one billion.
Last week, a case involving a “local celebrity” brought New Yorkers’ attention to the problem. Public officials found the body of an owl lying on the ground beneath a skyscraper on the Upper West Side. Flaco, as the bird was called, had been flying through the skies of New York for more than a year, after escaping from the city’s central zoo in February 2023.
Over the past year, zoo staff and onlookers have searched the trees for the owl, but to no avail. The male was in captivity for 12 years, but escaped after his enclosure was vandalized. The Wildlife Conservation Society has released details of the initial autopsy of Flaco that was performed. The cause of death? “Acute traumatic injury”.
According to necropsy results, the animal’s body absorbed most of the fatal impact. The report also says that there was “substantial bleeding under the sternum and in the posterior part of the body cavity around the liver”.
The bird was a Eurasian eagle owl, one of the largest owl species, with a wingspan of up to 2 meters, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. The organization estimates that around 250,000 birds die in similar collisions every year in the city. One of the reasons is that birds confuse the reflection in the window glass with trees and sky.
Flaco’s escape journey was followed by New Yorkers. Over time, the animal adapted to the new climate and began to be seen around the city. In the summer of 2023, he spent most of his time sheltering in a tree (an American elm) in the Central Park North Meadow region.
