Barn owls nest in Manhattan water tower for the first time in modern history

A family of barn owls has established a nest in a water tower on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, marking the first documented instance of the species nesting in Manhattan in modern history. Located near Central Park on West 75th Street, the nesting site has attracted nightly crowds of photographers, birders, and curious residents.

Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, described the event as “totally shocking,” noting that such a nesting occurrence has not been recorded in Manhattan's history. Local resident Elisabeth Williams and her husband first noticed the owls after hearing unusual screeching noises in early September.

David Barrett of Manhattan Bird Alert reported seeing at least one adult and potentially up to five or six fledglings at the site. While barn owl sightings are rare in New York City, the presence of a breeding family is considered a significant urban wildlife event.