Manhattan Water Tower Roof Removed, Exposing Rare Barn Owl Nest

The roof of a water tower on Manhattan’s Upper West Side was removed on Thursday, exposing a nest of barn owls that had drawn significant public attention. The structure sits atop a building in the neighborhood, and the removal of its top section left the bird family vulnerable.

This event marks the first documented case of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history. The discovery occurred weeks ago, attracting crowds of residents and nature photographers who gathered on the streets to view the birds. Jessica Wilson, executive director of the NYC Bird Alliance, reported seeing one fledgling on a nearby building roof shortly after the work began.

Wilson noted that barn owls are nocturnal creatures and that a fledgling should not be out in the middle of the day. She stated that the bird had been disturbed from the nest and that no other fledglings were visible at that time. Residents and birders reported the construction activity to the alliance in the morning. By the time Wilson arrived, workers were no longer present, but state environmental police were able to access the roof with the building superintendent’s permission.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that its officers investigated the site and found the water tower roof removed. The agency told the building owner to halt all demolition work until further notice while it investigates potential violations. The building superintendent declined to comment by phone, and it remains unclear who ordered the removal or who owns the property.

Thomas Obersteiner, a resident of the Upper West Side, witnessed a man climbing down from the water tower with an extension cord around noon on Thursday. His observation aligns with the timeline provided by wildlife experts who arrived later in the day. The removal of the roof has sparked immediate criticism from local officials and conservationists who had been monitoring the nest.

State Sen. Erik Bottcher expressed outrage in a social media post, arguing that active migratory bird nests are protected by both state and federal law. He demanded accountability for the incident, noting that the nest was well known to the public. David Barrett, a birder who runs the Manhattan Bird Alert account, agreed that the incident was preventable. Barrett observed the tower himself on Thursday and confirmed the missing roof.

Barn owl sightings in New York City parks are rare because the state sits at the northern edge of the species' range. The state department has noted that the population has declined at an alarming rate over time. The fledglings in this nest depend entirely on their parents to hunt for them, as they do not yet know how to find food themselves.

Without the nest, Wilson said there is concern that the fledglings might not survive. Parents typically bring food to the nest, but the structural change complicates this process. The state agency will continue its investigation into the removal while the work site remains under a stop order.