I have been visiting the Upper West Side on a number of nights and have missed seeing Flaco by an hour or so. He’s got a much larger range now, and it’s easy to be in the right place but the wrong day or time. So, I was delighted that as soon as I got off the M86-SBS bus at the last stop, I immediately heard him. His hoots echo so it took me awhile to find him, but soon I saw him switching between 535 West End Avenue at 86th and 565 West End Avenue at 87th.

Both of these perches have a direct view of the Peregrine Flacon scrape at 86th and West End Avenue. His hooting at this location is a cause of concern. Eurasian Eagle-Owls are known to take over Peregrine Falcon nests in Europe and this has always been a concern with Flaco. (A paper from Germany discusses these issues in great detail.)

While it is rarely discussed on social media, Flaco did actively interfere with the nesting Red-tailed Hawks in Central Park last spring. This included harassment of the San Remo pair, when they tried to relocate their nest to Tanner’s Spring, the pair on Central Park South and the pair at the Museum of the City of New York. While many factors, including the death of at least two adult Red-tailed Hawks (one being Pale Male), contributed to the lack of any breeding raptors in Central Park in 2023, Flaco’s arrival certainly had an impact.

How far will Flaco interfere with Manhattan’s breeding hawks and falcons in 2024? Will his instincts express themselves further or will they remain dormant since he will never find a mate in North America?

Flaco isn’t just a cute, photogenic owl exploring Manhattan. He’s an invasive species, who is an apex predator. His roosting locations on the Upper West Side are very close to two American Kestrel nests, one Peregrine Falcon nest (which is protected by Endangered status in New York State, and has Protected status nationally), and at least one Red-tailed Hawk nest. While Flaco appears to be happy with his rodent based diet, he could easily kill nestlings to declare territory later this year.

Those who want Flaco’s release to be a happy fantasy of an “owl living his best life” may be in for a surprise later this year. As my tour guide in Denali National Park said to me while describing the habits of bear who ate other bear’s cubs, “nature isn’t warm and fuzzy.”