NEW YORK, N.Y. — The barn owl family that made its home in a water tower on the Upper West Side of New York has been fully accounted for after repair crews tore open the nest last week, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said Monday.
Both adults and all five young owls were seen Sunday night. They no longer appear to be roosting in the tower, which stands by Central Park West at 76th Street, and the NYC Bird Alliance reports the birds are now being fed at other spots a few blocks away. Hoylman-Sigal said the family seems to be settling into new roosts.
Trouble started Thursday morning, when workers began repairs on the tower and removed its roof, exposing the hole where the owls had nested since at least August. The bird alliance called the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which ordered the building owner to halt the work while it investigated. Crews were back at the tower Friday anyway, and the agency put a nesting box on the structure Saturday.
Barn owls are not an endangered species, but they are protected under state law and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and wrecking an active nest is illegal. Hoylman-Sigal said the owner could face fines or worse. According to the city Parks Department the species is very rare in New York City, and experts believe this is the first time barn owls have been known to nest in Manhattan.
Because a few owls were still seen perched on the tower Sunday night, Hoylman-Sigal wants any more repairs held off for at least another week. Jessica Wilson, who leads the NYC Bird Alliance, asked people who spot the owls to keep their distance, skip flash photos and loud noise, keep dogs away and avoid rat poison, which can harm owls.
