New book about Flaco, the eagle owl, to hit the shelves soon

Flaco the eagle owl flew from his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo into the hearts of millions around the world. Now, for the first time, he’s being immortalized forever in a new book.

The Book of Flaco: The Most Famous Bird in the World Nature writer David Gessner’s book will be released on February 11, 2025, the first anniversary of the bird’s untimely death. Described as a “fable of freedom and wildness,” the book follows Flaco’s adventures from the February night of 2023 when vandals cut a hole in his cage to his death a year later on the Upper West Side.

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“Flaco the Owl’s years-long odyssey captured the imagination of New Yorkers and millions around the world – and Flaco immediately captivated me,” Gessner said in a statement provided to PEOPLE.

“Stories of wilderness in the city have always fascinated me,” the author continued. “I loved the wild, orange glow in Flaco’s eyes, and also the fact that he perched on air conditioners and fire escapes and loved to honk down from water towers high above the city. That led me to explore Central Park a month after Flaco’s escape, talk to many who were equally obsessed, and eventually write this book.”

The book describes Flaco’s adaptation to the dangerous streets of New York, eating rats and pigeons and observing Central Park, his new kingdom, while birdwatchers looked on. But it is also a timely Rachel Carson-style warning about the dangers lurking in our environment for urban creatures. An autopsy revealed that Flaco suffered a viral infection from eating pigeons and had several rodenticides in his system at the time of his death.

For Flaco fans, bird watchers and anyone interested in the threats to our environment: The Book of Flaco promises to be great fun.

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The Book of Flaco: The Most Famous Bird in the World by David Gessner will be released on February 11, 2026 and can now be pre-ordered wherever books are sold.