Anna Muggiati

Journalist, writer, content and culinary chef. Incidental Central Park birder.

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

Pawsome!

[The New Yorker @NewYorker]

An early look at next week’s cover, “A Man of Conviction,” by @cuneo_ink. #NewYorkerCovers https://t.co/qU1FBeQKlv

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@Lucent508 Thank you for the happy news! Wonderful to see they are thriving. I was in the park during the thunderstorm yesterday, worried about all the new bird families.

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

Migration!

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@Lucent508 #2 ! Just perfect. Thanks for all your wonderful photos and for birding in such a hot afternoon.

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@PBeiboer Thank you for sharing this. I'm deeply sorry, my sadness is as big as the joy he gave us while thriving in freedom.

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

This is a very relevant point about Flaco’s guardians. By one of his closest observers while he was thriving in NYC. Thanks @davidlei

[David Lei @davidlei]

I agree. The Zoo had ample opportunity to try to catch him. They seemed to spare no expense on their effort and came very, very close at least once. Ultimately, Flaco had other ideas. The Zoo’s leadership decided it would be fine to let Flaco remain free, a decision I’m sure they did not take lightly given their professional and legal responsibilities. They have never said they bowed to any public pressure. And Flaco was indeed thriving for more than a year—far longer than the naysayers said he would be able to live. Flaco didn’t die because he was an escaped zoo animal who didn’t know how to take care of himself. Suggesting that is just untrue. The WCS has already said his body condition was good and he weighed virtually as much when he died as he did in the Zoo. The WCS will soon know whether he was ill at the time of his death but, either way, it seems likely he died from something that can afflict any wild bird. As we know all too well from Rover, Barry and countless other unnamed birds, tragedies are a daily occurrence in nature. Some might say it’s anthropomorphizing to celebrate Flaco’s freedom. I think it’s anthropomorphizing to assume that a raptor with a six foot wingspan and the instinct to hunt live prey would want to be anything other than free. Just a guess though, I’m not an owl.

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@davidlei @r2junot Your beautiful photos and posts about Flaco are so awe-inspiring. Thanks to you and to all the birders who made his best moments in freedom an eternal gift. Although I saw him many times in the park, it was through your lenses that I could see how beautiful and majestic he was.

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

Goodbye Flaco, farewell joyful days. I was so lucky to see him well and thriving in the park, and prove the implausible. Flaco, you will always be an inspiration and a tale of survival and strength.

[David Lei @davidlei]

As you may have already seen, Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl has passed away. I am sad beyond words. Flaco defied the odds and made quite a life for himself in the city over the past year. Along the way he came to mean so much to so many, including me. ❤️🦉

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@urbanhawks Thanks for this info. So, if Flaco (BTW he should have another name by now) becomes a predator of native species of birds, there's trouble ahead, right... Or if he just eats pigeons? Could he eat a LEO or a baby bald eagle? Sugarcoating the issue would be plain naïveté, right?

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

So this is a game-changer event. If Flaco (who should be renamed by now) starts to prey on native birds we will have a problem. Unless the local bird is flying rat (aka pigeons). Or not?

[NYC Plover Project @NycPlover]

Share some love, speak up for NYC’s endangered species. Take action at the link in bio. #protectheplovers

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

A very peculiar shape of a snowman. While exploring The Ramble yesterday this was one of many surprises on my way! #CentralPark #MyCentralPark

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

One very puffed cardinal visiting Dene Slope today #CentralPark

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

The winner of my little snow man contest at Central Park today! #CentralPark

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@Above96th Thank you! What a joyful day! Hope that he will restart his “Tour de Park” repeating last year’s route from Loch to East Drive. Hopefully he nowl knows the best NYC healthy rats-aurants!

[Above_96th @Above96th]

🎉🎉🎉Flaco has returned to Central Park this morning! I’m out of town, but my friend Susan sent me this photo! Welcome back, Flaco! ❤️🦉❤️ #owls #flaco #centralpark

[Anna Muggiati @MuggiatiAnna]

@NancyViolette1 @BirdCentralPark @drsusanrubin What did you think? So strange that she called NYPD.