Barred Owl.Photo: getty
Bird watchers in New York City’s Central Park are mourning the loss of one ‘beloved’ owl.
“It’s with a heavy heart we share that a barred owl, a beloved Central Park resident, passed away early this morning,” they said, in a statement released on their official Twitter account. “The barred owl’s presence in Central Park brought so much joy, reminding all of us that the Park is a vital greenspace for all New Yorkers, including the wildlife that call it home.”
Of the incident, Central Park said, “Flying low, likely in search of a meal, the barred owl made contact with a Conservancy maintenance vehicle at approximately 2:30 am.”
They added, “Conservancy staff immediately reported the incident and Urban Park Rangers were contacted.”
Central Parkattracts over 210 bird species each yearincluding those who live there year-round and others that are in migration. That population attracts regular bird watchers — many of whom sent supportive messages on Friday.
Barrett added, “We will miss her wondrous and beautiful presence in the park.”
Manhattan Bird Alert later shared avideo of the owl ruffling its feathers.
“Even on her first day in Central Park, at the Loch on 9 October 2020, the BARRED OWL made it clear she was going to shake things up,” the account wrote.
Barry the Barred Owl, a Twitter account for Barry lovers, wrote a lengthy statement.
“Words cannot express our devastation at the loss of our be a-hoot-iful Barry,” they began.
“Truth be told, we, her narrators, are ordinary NYers who have adored her from the moment she arrived in Central Park. Like so many, Barry captivated us and brought us an incredible amount of joy during an extremely tough time for our city,” the account continued. “We anticipated that one day she may fly away to find a mate, but never imagined she would be taken like this. We are truly heartbroken, frankly, angry, and we are mourning alongside you.”
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They went on to sing Barry’s praises. “Those who visited Barry often in person or watched videos of her online know that along with her beauty, her curious personality was a true treasure,” they wrote. “She deserved a long life of hunting, snoozing, and stretching, whether it was here in Central Park or up north with a family of her own one day.”
“The purpose of this account has always been to give Barry the voice we envisioned her having, and to connect in community with those who’ve loved her,” they wrote in their statement — adding later, “Rest in piece, sweet, bea-hoot-iful, talon-ted, one-of-a-kind Barry. We will always love and miss you, fren.”
source: people.com
