The sighting of a newly famous bird was first reported in October, when Manhattan Bird Alert tweeted a video of a Barred Owl at The Loch in Central Park, located at 102nd Street.
The BARRED OWL took a break from hunting to enjoy a lively preening session in the Central Park Loch earlier today. pic.twitter.com/QvzF87o4gP
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) October 9, 2020
A staff member of the Central Park Conservancy weighed in on what attracted this beautiful creature to this area of Central Park.
“From what I’ve gathered from speaking with the many knowledgeable birders I meet in the woodlands, owls prioritize quiet areas with relatively little artificial light. The Ravine [which includes The Loch] is an area that is relatively sunken topographically, so the sounds and lights of the City are muffled, and many of our natural areas are darker at night, which owls prefer. It also doesn’t hurt that there are plenty of prey species, such as white-footed mice, chipmunks, and even squirrels, which make the Ravine a great place for an owl to hunt at night.”
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A recent crustacean sighting took place nearby at The Pool; it turned out to be a crayfish, the Central Park Conservancy confirmed (as did many of you commenters). The Conservancy also told us these crayfish can be found at The Loch, which means there are two new reasons you should plan a visit.
Please do not use rodenticides. This is the Barred Owls main food source. The toxins can be harmful and even fatal to the owl. https://patch.com/connecticut/greenwich/choose-your-poisonwisely_3d4e851c