The majestic great horned owl that took up residence in New York City’s Central Park and captivated birdwatchers has been missing since at least Tuesday, sparking an extensive search by devotees hoping to spot the celebrity bird. Nicknamed Barry, after Central Park birder Barry Yee who first saw it on October 4, the owl became an overnight sensation after its discovery near the park’s Hallett Nature Sanctuary.
When and where was the owl last seen?
The last confirmed sighting of the owl was on Tuesday evening, October 17, in a tree near the Conservatory Water. Despite hours of searching by dozens of birders on Wednesday and Thursday, the owl has not been seen again in its usual spots. Based on past behavior, it is very unusual for the owl not to be found for this long.
What efforts have been made to find the owl?
As soon as Barry’s absence was noted, New York City birders sprang into action to try to relocate the bird. Search parties have painstakingly scoured every inch of the Hallett Sanctuary and nearby wooded areas where the owl had been observed hunting and roosting. They have played recordings of owl calls hoping to elicit a response, searched by flashlight after dark, and posted lookouts near frequented perches. So far the efforts have had no success.
What are some theories on the owl’s disappearance?
Experts have proposed several possible explanations for why the owl has vanished:
- The owl has moved to a new location within or beyond Central Park. As a wild animal, it can travel and hunt anywhere within its home range.
- It has been driven away or scared off by disturbance from people trying to see it and photographers. Too much commotion may have stressed the owl.
- It was injured, killed, or taken by a predator. Great horned owls face threats including collisions with vehicles, territorial disputes with other owls, and predation from larger raptors.
- The owl fell ill or died of natural causes. Avian influenza has killed several snowy owls in the northeast U.S. in recent weeks.
Will the owl return to Central Park?
It is possible Barry could return to its former Central Park territory at any time and resume normal activity. Owls are extremely well camouflaged and difficult to spot when roosting high up in trees. If the owl simply moved to another area in the park, it could have eluded searchers by laying low during the daytime when it normally sleeps.
However, the longer the owl goes without being seen back in its old haunts, the less likely it seems that it is still in the immediate vicinity. At this point after several days missing, hopes are fading fast that the owl will make a dramatic reappearance.
What is the historical context for a wild owl in Central Park?
While shocking and exciting for casual parkgoers, devoted NYC birders know that periodic owl sightings in Central Park are not unprecedented. In the fall and winter months, migrating owls will sometimes take temporary refuge in urban parks and green spaces while traveling or establishing a winter range.
In recent decades, Central Park has hosted other high-profile owl visitors like a Saw-whet owl in 2018 and a Long-eared owl in 1985 that stayed for months. But those previous occurrences did not benefit from social media to spread the word far and wide among bird enthusiasts.
How rare are owl sightings in New York City overall?
Owl sightings of any species are considered unusual in New York City proper. However, they are becoming more common as green spaces expand and bird populations continue to adapt to urban environments.
Data from eBird, a citizen science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, shows owl sightings in NYC parks and neighborhoods to be very rare but gradually increasing over the past 10 years:
Year | Owl Sightings Reported |
---|---|
2013 | 5 |
2014 | 3 |
2015 | 11 |
2016 | 13 |
2017 | 16 |
2018 | 18 |
2019 | 14 |
2020 | 10 |
2021 | 19 |
2022 | 26 |
So Barry’s appearance aligned with an increasing but still very modest and inconsistent pattern of owl occurrences. Its extended stay of over two weeks is highly unusual compared to the handful of nights or days most visiting owls spend in NYC.
What is the profile of the “celebrity” Central Park owl?
The owl that captivated New Yorkers is specifically a large adult Eastern Great Horned Owl, one of the most common and widespread owl species in North America. Here are some key facts about the species:
- Length: 18-25 inches
- Wingspan: Up to 5 feet
- Weight: Up to 4 pounds
- Color: Mottled brown-gray with barred markings
- Lifespan: Up to 13 years in the wild
- Diet: Small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians
- Nocturnal hunters with excellent low-light vision
- Powerful talons can exert 500 psi of pressure
Great horned owls are apex predators that occupy an important niche controlling rodent and bird populations. They are bold and adapted to live in close proximity to humans when there is sufficient food and roosting habitat available.
How did this specific owl wind up in Central Park?
While the celebrity owl’s full origin story remains a mystery, it likely dispersed from wilderness breeding areas north of the city in early fall to stake out its own winter territory with plentiful food. Young adult owls often travel great distances when they first leave their parents’ range. Alternately, it may have gradually worked its way south through parks and green spaces from farther north starting in late summer.
What is the meaning of the owl’s surge in popularity?
This charismatic owl winning over New Yorkers shows the strong human desire to connect with nature and wildlife, even in the dense urban jungle. Photographing and observing the owl offered city-dwellers a rare chance to get up close and personal with a beautiful beast straight out of the wilderness.
The owl mania also underscores the power of social media to rapidly spread fascination with photogenic animals far and wide. As digital naturalist accounts shared stunning photos and videos of the owl, the public became enthralled and felt invested in its daily habits.
What conservation efforts does this inspire?
The positive public response to the Central Park owl highlights the importance of protecting habitats for these majestic birds in and around cities. As human development encroaches on natural areas, owls and other wildlife are losing the space they need to hunt and thrive.
Specifically, the celebrity owl saga should motivate continued conservation of the Hallett Sanctuary, Central Park’s largest forested area. This rare mature woodland provides crucial sanctuary for migratory birds and a refuge for animals like owls journeying through the urban landscape.
More broadly, cities can support owl populations by preserving old trees, building owl boxes, keeping parks brushy and wild, and limiting light and noise pollution.
How can the public help track and protect owls?
If the Central Park owl is refound, people should admire and photograph it from a respectful distance to minimize disturbance. Never approach too closely or restrict the owl’s movement.
Photographs and sightings should be reported to birding sites like eBird so experts can monitor owl activity, travel patterns, and habitats used. Responsible reporting does not disclose specific locations that could allow crowds to swarm the owl.
Concerned citizens can volunteer with rehabilitation centers that rescue and rehabilitate injured owls recovered in urban areas. They can also lobby local leaders to implement owl-friendly practices in land use planning and park management.
Will the owl ever be found?
It is impossible to say if the beloved Central Park owl will reappear or what ultimately happened to cause its disappearance. Wild animals come and go secretively for reasons we cannot know. Even the most intensively tracked animals like Barry may simply vanish one day without a trace.
For now, the owl remains the stuff of urban legend, its brief flash of fame forever crystallized in stunning photos and videos. This solitary hunter swept into the lives of New Yorkers, reminded them of nature’s wonder, and disappeared into the shadows again.
Conclusion
The saga of the viral Central Park owl illustrates the deep public desire to connect with urban wildlife, the power of social media to spread fascination with photogenic animals, and the continued importance of preserving natural habitats in cities. Even if this celebrity owl is not seen again, its legacy will live on as an inspiration for urban nature lovers and conservationists alike.