Rare barn owl family nests in Manhattan water tower for first time
What's new: Experts say it is the first documented barn owl nest in modern Manhattan history, drawing nightly crowds on the Upper West Side.
A family of barn owls has taken over a water tower near Central Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, in what experts describe as the first documented nest of its kind in modern borough history. Residents spotted multiple owls at the site on West 75th Street after first noticing a single bird nearby. The rare urban nest has drawn photographers, birders and other onlookers into the street each night. Andrew Farnsworth of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology said no recorded Manhattan barn owl nest was known to the birding community. City parks officials say barn owl sightings are unusual in New York City, while state conservation officials have warned the species has declined sharply over time.