Flaco - by Jonathan Hollingsworth (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl had spent the first twelve years of his life in a small enclosure in the Central Park Zoo, unable to fly, until the night of February 2^nd, 2023, when an unknown liberator cut a hole in the steel mesh of his cage and set him free. Flaco eluded the nets and traps of zoo authorities and park rangers who feared that Flaco couldn't survive on his own, and instead, proved them all wrong, learning to hunt, fly, and make the city his home.

With rich imagery and illustrations, FLACO celebrates the work of the photographers who documented Flaco in his favorite city haunts, features works by artists who were inspired by Flaco's story, and memorializes the objects left at the base of Flaco's favorite Central Park oak upon his tragic passing.

FLACO is the ultimate tribute to the owl whose story captured the imagination and inspired millions around the world.

Review Quotes

Heart-warming and heart-breaking at once, FLACO is also immensely inspiring! It is a beautifully-told tale that reminds us all of the resilience of Nature and the importance of even the most fleeting moments of connection with the Wild, which can inspire change for our greater good. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Nature. - Leigh Calvez, author of The Hidden Lives of Owls

FLACO is an extraordinary book about a Eurasian eagle-owl who entranced and inspired millions around the world during his year living free in New York City. Jonathan Hollingsworth has put together a remarkable compilation of tributes to Flaco, which run the gamut from exquisite photographs to poems by Mary Oliver, paintings of Flaco, sculptures (which include a totem pole!), even sheet music and pictures of Flaco tattoos. The gathering of exquisite photos is a particular treat as they show the many moods of Flaco from his apparent affection for his visitors to occasional annoyance or seeming amusement at the squirrels who tumbled over his feet. But for me, most touching is the series of remembrances left under Flaco's favorite oak tree during his memorial service, many of which are letters from children to this owl who moved their hearts as he perched above them and showed them what it is to be free. - Nan Knighton, Tony Award-nominee for Best Book of a Musical for The Scarlett Pimpernel.

A beautiful chronicle of a bird whose stunning story inspired so many. Flaco was a big owl who delighted us by thriving in our most urban environment. - Bob Dolgan, editor of This Week in Birding

About the Author

Jonathan Hollingsworth is a New York City-based writer and photographer whose work has been published in The New York Times, The Independent, The Sunday Times Magazine (London), BBC News Magazine, Die Welt and Photo District News, among others. He is the author of the Left Behind: Life and Death Along the U.S. Border and What We Think Now: Young People's Response to the War in Iraq. He has had solo exhibitions at the UCR / California Museum of Photography, Santa Fe Art Institute, and Center for Photography at Woodstock.

Carl Safina is an ecologist, author, and founding President of the Safina Center. He is the first Endowed Professor for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University. His work centers on animal psychology and the relationship between humans and nature. His newest book, Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe, is a moving account of raising, then freeing, an orphaned screech owl, whose lasting friendship with him illuminates humanity's relationship with the natural world.