_{^{Romeo and Juliet play in the Central Park snow, winter 2026 © David Lei}}

By Suzanne Charlé, Publications Committee | August 31, 2026

David Lei and Jacqueline Emery have been celebrated for their photos of the birds in Central Park, captivating New Yorkers with their images of celebrity birds like Barry the Barred Owl and Flaco, the escaped Eurasian Eagle-Owl, for years. Even if you haven’t heard of David or Jackie, their photos probably look familiar; their photos are frequently featured in The New York Times and other local outlets. Their book, Finding Flaco: Our Year with New York City's Beloved Owl, established the raptor, who escaped from the park zoo in 2023, as a symbol of freedom. 

More recently, David and Jackie have focused the public on another breed of animal – a pair of coyotes, Romeo and Juliet, who have made Central Park their home.

In 2019, a coyote was spotted in Central Park. Soon more sightings were reported, but neither David nor Jackie had seen it, memorably missing their chance when on a bird outing where only the back half of the group saw the coyote below Belvedere Castle. 

Jackie’s interest was piqued, and later in 2019, she saw the coyote that eventually would come to be known as Juliet in the Ramble, running over the rocks. “At first, I thought it was a German Shepard,” she recalls. Jackie went on to take a class in night photography, so that she could better capture the now-iconic shots of the coyote.

David didn’t see Juliet until February 2021, when he was in the park observing a Snowy Owl that frequently visited the North Meadows and sometimes perched on baseball field backstops. “The coyote ran by – fast,” David recalls.  

Later, looking for owls and the coyote, they saw her “sleeping on a rock at the lake’s edge,” he notes.  But it wasn’t until 2023 that they discovered Romeo. This time observing a pair of Long-eared Owls, David and Jackie, who by this time were a couple themselves, saw the two coyotes, one significantly larger than the other.

Photographing coyotes in Central Park, they explain, “is a lot harder than birds. They are very nocturnal and are constantly on the move after dusk. It can take days, even weeks to finally take a good picture, depending on luck if they pass under a street lamp.” 

Jackie notes, “The coyotes have a different level of sensitivity.”

“What helps is we’ve honed in on the right camera settings and lenses. And we’ve built up trust with the coyotes,” adds David. “They're very smart animals so we have no doubt that they recognize us and are comfortable around us. They allow us to take their photos because we won’t chase after them, and they recognize we’re not a threat because we recognize their boundaries.”

“In many ways we’re very similar to Romeo and Juliet as a couple,” David says. “They’re very devoted to each other as we are, they’re constantly exploring the park. In addition, Romeo, like me, is a little bit slower to wake up and slower to get moving.” 

Since dedicating their evenings to photographing the pair, David and Jackie’s photos have received critical acclaim on social media as they share their experience following the coyotes relationship (including a Valentine's Day surprise, when David and Jackie saw the coyotes mating). And just as the photos of birds attracted new birders, Romeo and Juliet have inspired fascination with all the creatures living in Central Park. Indeed, just as Central Park’s animal residents vary – with a great diversity of owls and bats, flying squirrels and coyotes – the New Yorkers who take an interest in them are just as wide-ranging. 

In addition to photography, David and Jackie have expanded their avian advocacy to now include advocating for giving all animals their space, and for people not to enter protected areas (sensitive habitats have been fenced off). “People need to understand the negative impact they have, by climbing on a rock or having a picnic in sensitive habitats." 

Jackie says they didn’t set out to become ambassadors for the Central Park coyotes, but now they are: “You really start to care about the animals and protecting them…. We’re not simply taking photos and observing them – we’re paying attention. If there are off-leash dogs in the area, we go up to the owners and ask them politely to please leash their dogs.”

Jackie and David see their photographs as a way to educate the public. Their advice to people hoping to see Romeo and Juliet: “There’s nothing to be afraid about.” Pay attention, they urge people, stay still and don’t approach them. “Don’t get too close. Stand there and watch, then go on your merry way… and they’ll go on their merry way!”