Barry (died August 6, 2021) was a female
barred owl
The barred owl (''Strix varia''), also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl or, more informally, hoot owl or eight-hooter owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus ...
that lived in
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
for about ten months.
Spotting
Barry was first spotted on October 9, 2020, by a group of
birders
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope, ...
. Barry quickly became a desired sighting for birders and regular park visitors. Those who wanted to see Barry would go to
the Loch, a creek in the northwest of the park.
Barry's observers were eventually able to determine she was a female owl from the pitch of her hoot; however, the name "Barry" that she was originally given stuck. Following her death, the
Wild Bird Fund estimated that she was approximately a year old from looking at the colors of her plumage.
Unlike behavior considered normal for an owl, Barry seemed unbothered by the presence of humans, often perching near paths where her admirers stood.
In April 2021, Barry set the record for the longest stay in Central Park for a barred owl, ultimately choosing it as her home instead of migrating.
Barry was tracked by Manhattan Bird Alert, a feed on Twitter which tracks bird sightings across New York City. If Barry was posted to the feed, dozens of people rushed to the location to see her.
Barry had a prolific Twitter presence (run by a fan) that gave a voice to Barry's travels throughout Central Park. Barry's activities when not sleeping included hunting small animals throughout the park and splashing in water on hot days.
Death
Barry died on August 6, 2021, as a result of truck collision.
After her death, Barry was memorialized in a vigil on August 9, 2021. It was held under the tree she was most often spotted in near the
Central Park Boathouse.
Hundreds attended her vigil.
At the time of her death, Barry had a potentially lethal amount of rat poison in her body. This may have impaired her flying ability and prevented her from evading the van that struck her.
See also
*
List of individual birds
This is a list of well-known real birds. For famous fictional birds, see list of fictional birds.
* Águia Vitória, a bald eagle who serves as the mascot for Portuguese football club S.L. Benfica
* Alex (parrot), Alex, a grey parrot wh ...
*
Flaco, a Eurasian-eagle owl which escaped from the Central Park Zoo in 2023
References
{{Central Park, state=collapsed
Owls
Central Park
Individual birds in the United States
Individual owls
Individual wild animals
2021 animal deaths
Wildlife of New York City