Manhattan Building Owner Halted After Barn Owl Nest Exposed by Water Tower Roof Removal
State agents ordered a pause on work after the roof was taken off a tower housing the borough's first documented barn owl family.
By Amina Howard ·
One barn owl chick was spotted in the daytime on Thursday after workers removed the roof of a water tower on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure sat on the roof of a building where a family of barn owls had been nesting for several weeks. The removal of the tower's top section exposed the nest and sparked immediate concern among local residents and conservationists who had been tracking the rare birds.
Jessica Wilson, executive director of the NYC Bird Alliance, stated that she saw the lone chick on a nearby building roof shortly after the work was completed. Wilson explained that barn owls are nocturnal creatures, meaning their young should not be visible outside during the day. She noted that the chick appeared to have been pulled from the nest and that no other young birds were visible at that time.
Residents and birdwatchers reported the activity to the NYC Bird Alliance on the morning of Thursday. Upon arriving at the site, Wilson found no workers present but was granted access to the roof by the building manager. State environmental conservation agents were also on the scene. All parties confirmed that the top portion of the water tower where the owls had nested was no longer in place.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a statement confirming that its agents investigated the area and found the water tower roof had been removed. The department instructed the building owner to halt the demolition of the water tower until further notice. This pause allows the agency to investigate potential violations of state and federal laws that protect active nests of migratory birds.
The identity of the building owner and the specific individual who ordered the roof removed remain unclear. The building manager declined to comment when contacted by phone. Thomas Obersteiner, a local resident, described seeing a man with an extension cord descending from the water tower around noon on Thursday. He confirmed that the roof was gone by the time he observed the structure.
State Sen. Erik Bottcher voiced his frustration on social media, stating that the construction work potentially endangered a pair of owls and their several chicks. He emphasized that active nests of migratory birds are protected under both state and federal statutes. Bottcher argued that urban wildlife deserves protection and that accountability is required when these legal safeguards are breached.
David Barrett, a Manhattan-based birdwatcher who operates the popular Manhattan Bird Alert account, expressed shock at the incident. Barrett described the nest as incredibly well-known due to extensive media coverage. He observed the tower on Thursday and confirmed the roof's absence. Barrett stated that the removal of the structure should not have happened given the nest's fame and the species' rarity in the area.
Barn owls are rarely seen in New York City parks, according to the Department of Parks and Recreation. The state is near the northern limit of the barn owl's range, and the population has declined at an alarming rate, according to the state conservation department. The city has a history of bonding with urban wildlife, from the American bitterns in Bryant Park to the Eurasian eagle-owl known as Flaco. The current incident adds to that legacy of public attachment to wild birds in Manhattan.
Wilson noted that barn owl chicks rely entirely on their parents for food because they cannot hunt on their own. The parents bring food to the nest. Without the structural integrity of the water tower, Wilson said the alliance is concerned that the chicks may not survive the period of vulnerability.
