Manhattan water tower loses roof while barn owls nest inside

The roof of a water tower on the Upper West Side was removed on Thursday, exposing the active nest of a rare family of barn owls.

The removal occurred while the birds were still present, drawing immediate attention from local residents and conservation groups who had been tracking the family for weeks.

Jessica Wilson, executive director of the NYC Bird Alliance, reported that she observed one young owl on the roof of a nearby building after the water tower's top section was taken off.

Wilson noted that barn owls are nocturnal and fledglings should not be active in the middle of the day. She stated that the bird had been disturbed from the nest and that her team did not see any other young owls.

NYC Bird Alliance received reports from residents and birders in the morning about work at the top of the tower. When Wilson arrived, no workers were present on the site.

Police from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also arrived and accessed the roof with permission from the building superintendent. They confirmed that the top of the water tower, where the owls had been nesting, was missing.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation said its officers investigated the area and found the roof removed. The agency instructed the building owner to halt demolition until further notice while they investigate potential violations.

The building superintendent declined to comment when reached by phone. It is not currently known who owns the building or who ordered the removal of the roof.

Thomas Obersteiner, a resident of the Upper West Side, said he saw a man with an extension cord climbing down from the water tower around noon on Thursday.

State Sen. Erik Bottcher expressed outrage in a social media post, stating that active migratory bird nests are protected by state and federal law. He argued that the city's wildlife deserves protection and that there must be accountability when these laws are violated.

David Barrett, a birder who runs the social media account Manhattan Bird Alert, said the nest was widely known. Barrett observed the water tower on Thursday and confirmed the roof was gone, adding that the incident should never have happened.

Barn owls are rarely seen in New York City parks according to the Department of Parks and Recreation. New York sits at the northern edge of the barn owl's range, and the population has declined at an alarming rate according to the state conservation department. This event is believed to be the first documented instance of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history. Fledglings depend on their parents to hunt for them, and Wilson expressed concern that the young owls might not survive without their nest.