A family of barn owls has become the unexpected celebrities of Manhattan's Upper West Side, with their nest in a water tower near Central Park drawing nightly crowds eager for a glimpse. This marks the first documented instance of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history, according to Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The discovery came to light on Oct. 6 when Upper West Side resident Elisabeth Williams notified a local news outlet after she and her husband observed multiple owls at the water tower. The couple had previously seen a single owl days earlier and were surprised by its presence in such an urban environment.
Barn owl sightings are exceptionally rare in New York City, which lies at the northern fringe of the species' range. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation notes that the barn owl population has been declining at an alarming rate. This makes the presence of a nesting family particularly noteworthy.
"There’s lots of excitement among New Yorkers, both birders and non-birders alike, about these owls because owls really capture the attention," said Jessica Wilson, executive director of NYC Bird Alliance. "They’re magical, they’re nocturnal, they are secretive, they’re not commonly seen, especially on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. And to have this chance to see these birds is really thrilling."
Manhattan birder David Barrett, who runs the social media account Manhattan Bird Alert, has observed at least one adult barn owl and five fledglings at the water tower, noting that an adult has been seen carrying rodents back to the nest. While the exact number of fledglings is unconfirmed, some photographers have claimed to have seen up to six.
Before the sightings, residents like Elisabeth Williams and her husband, and Thomas Obersteiner, reported hearing periodic, unusual screeching noises starting in early September. Obersteiner described the sounds as sometimes resembling someone “being murdered outside,” and initially mistook them for a child in distress. Farnsworth confirmed that such screeches are typical communication for barn owls.
The unusual nesting has transformed the area into an impromptu wildlife viewing spot. Photographers and curious New Yorkers have gathered nightly on the street to observe the owls, with some residents like Obersteiner opening their rooftop decks to nature photographers.