Kathmandu. A family of rare barn owls nesting in a water tank of a building near Central Park in Manhattan, New York, USA, has attracted locals and bird lovers. According to experts, this is the first recorded instance in modern history of barn owls nesting and raising young in Manhattan.
Andrew Farnsworth, a migration expert at Cornell University’s Ornithology Lab, called the event astonishing. According to him, there is no previous record of barn owls nesting in Manhattan.
Upper West Side resident Elizabeth Williams spread the word on October 6 after informing local media that several owls were seen in the building’s water tank. She and her husband had also seen an owl at their apartment window before that.
“In a place like Manhattan, you usually have to search to encounter nature. But here it was right outside our window,” Williams said.
This is not the first time a rare bird has generated interest among New Yorkers. The American Woodcock, seen every spring in Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, has also become a favorite among bird lovers. In 2023, dozens of fans mourned the death of a Eurasian Eagle-Owl named ‘Flaco’, who became famous after escaping from a zoo enclosure in 2024. Similarly, a red-tailed hawk named ‘Pale Male’, which nested on Fifth Avenue for three decades, also died in 2023.
According to the New York City Parks and Recreation Department, barn owls are rarely seen in the city’s parks. New York is at the edge of the northern distribution range for this species. According to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, the barn owl population has been declining at a concerning rate over time.
Jessica Wilson, executive director of NYC Bird Alliance, said the owls have captured the attention of not only bird lovers but also ordinary residents. She said it is exciting to see them in Manhattan, as they are nocturnal, secretive, and rarely seen.
In recent days, night photographers and the public have started gathering on the streets to catch a glimpse of the owls. Val Coleman, a retired New York resident, said he had only seen one barn owl in California before. He mentioned he was waiting for the evening when the owls go hunting and expressed concern that poisoned mice might not become their food.
David Barrett, a bird watcher who runs a social media account called ‘Manhattan Bird Alert’, said he saw at least one adult owl and five growing chicks in the water tank. He also saw an adult owl bringing a mouse to the tank. It is estimated that there are two adult owls there, while some photographers have reported seeing six chicks.
According to Barrett, while seeing one barn owl is unusual in itself, the documented case of a barn owl family nesting and raising young in Manhattan is of special significance.
Even before the owls were seen, Williams and her husband had been hearing loud noises from outside intermittently since early September. Although they initially assumed it might be the sound of some bird, they were not convinced when a mobile app indicated it was the sound of a barn owl.
Thomas Obersteiner also heard strange screeching and wailing sounds at night since mid-September. “It sounded like someone was being murdered outside,” he said. He mentioned that the sounds came from different directions every night for two to three weeks.
Several times, he and his wife mistook the owl’s calls for the cries of a distressed child and went to their children’s rooms. He said the source of those sounds was only discovered after the owls were featured in the news.
According to Farnsworth, barn owls make such loud noises to communicate with each other. He compared the sound to noises heard in horror movies.
Obersteiner considers the open space on his roof to be one of the best observation spots in the city for owls. Since the news about the owls spread, he has allowed nature photographers to observe from there almost every night. Last week, twenty people gathered there one night.
“We can’t stop them from coming, because it’s a lot of fun and they are serious about it. It’s a beautiful experience,” he said.
Before the owl family settled in the water tank, Williams and her husband were bird watchers. However, their interest has shifted after seeing a rare bird family right outside their window. “I think we are going to become bird watchers now,” Williams said.