New York Lawmakers Rename Proposed Law in Honor of Flaco the Owl
This weekend, Flaco the owl—the famed Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo and had a year of freedom and fame in New York City—died after colliding with an eight-story apartment building on the Upper West Side.
In his memory, New York lawmakers have renamed the "Bird Safe Building Act" to the FLACO Act—the "Feathered Lives Also Count" Act. The law was introduced in May 2023 by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal. In a release, the New York State senate said, "This law will require any new or significantly altered state buildings to incorporate bird-friendly designs, particularly in their windows. Nearly a quarter million birds in New York City, and more than one billion across the country, die each year from collisions with buildings. This number can be significantly reduced if buildings utilize bird-safe practices." They are also pushing to pass the Dark Skies Protection Act, to reduce light pollution in New York City.
"I’m gutted at the death of Flaco the owl, who delighted countless New Yorkers through his presence in Central Park," Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement. "His death after apparently striking a glass window pane raises the importance of our passing common-sense laws to help stop preventable window strikes, which kill millions of birds, like Flaco, each year. By renaming our legislation to require state-owned buildings to incorporate bird friendly designs, we’ll not only honor this magnificent creature, but hopefully inspire our legislative colleagues to pass both the FLACO Act and the Dark Skies Protection Act."
Jessica Wilson, Executive Director of NYC Audubon, added, "Birds are a critical part of a healthy ecosystem, and birds like Flaco remind us of the magic of these animals. The simple acts of turning lights off at night, and making windows safer for birds, will ensure a better environment for birds and for people."
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