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DevelopingDay 5

The Upper West Side water-tower owl nest disturbance

  1. Update 2 of 2LatestDay 54 days later

    All seven Manhattan barn owls spotted. Will tower work wait?

    Two adults and five fledglings appear to be resting elsewhere, but some still visit their damaged water tower. A request for another week without repairs remains unresolved.

    Watch

    Earliest sourceWest Side Rag

    What changed

    • Brief fledgling visits to the damaged tank and activity high on another building a few blocks away were observed. At least two fledglings were seen that evening.
    • All seven birds were reported seen. A few still perched at the tower, although the family appeared to be roosting elsewhere.

    Still open then

    • The birds’ post-work whereabouts and condition, the nest’s condition, the precise work timeline and any protection measures remain unverified.
    • A building or contractor explanation and a dated wildlife observation or inspection could establish what happened and whether the young retain a usable nesting space.

  2. Update 1 of 2Day 1

    The owl tower’s roof is gone. What happened to the family inside?

    Construction exposed the Manhattan water tower where a rare barn owl family nested. The roof’s removal is documented; the birds’ condition and the nest’s fate are not.

    Watch

    Earliest sourceWest Side Rag

    What we knew first

    • The roof was absent in October 29 images, and NYC Bird Alliance assessed a high likelihood of disturbance to the adult pair and five or six fledglings.

    Still open then

    • The birds’ post-work whereabouts and condition, the nest’s condition, the precise work timeline and any protection measures remain unverified.

    We said we'd watch for

    • A building or contractor explanation and a dated wildlife observation or inspection could establish what happened and whether the young retain a usable nesting space.

Who reported

Who reported

27 outlets · 41 sources

10 of 27 had reported by this moment

Timeline

Timeline

Day 5 · 2 reports

  1. Yolton reported that fledglings continued to roost inside the tank as workers began removing it.

  2. First to report

  3. Brief fledgling visits to the damaged tank and activity high on another building a few blocks away were observed. At least two fledglings were seen that evening.

  4. All seven birds were reported seen. A few still perched at the tower, although the family appeared to be roosting elsewhere.

Who's involved

Who's involved

People

  • Brad Hoylman-SigalAmerican politician

Organizations

  • NYC Bird Allianceconservation organization
  • New York State Department of Environmental ConservationNew York's state-level environmental regulator
All seven Manhattan barn owls spotted. Will tower work wait?