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MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – There is more encouraging news for the family of barn owls that had been nesting atop a Manhattan water tower. All seven owls have now been spotted, and repairs to the tower are expected to resume this week.
All seven owls have now been spotted, according to a new update shared Monday by Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal on X.
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The two adult owls and their five young were spotted Sunday night, Hoylman-Sigal said.
The latest update comes after construction work at the original nesting site raised concerns about whether the owls would return.
The family appears to have found a new place to rest, where the two adult owls can continue feeding their five young owls, according to the NYC Bird Alliance.
On Monday, the organization said the owls are no longer regularly using the water tower.
Because the birds appear to have settled elsewhere, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is expected to authorize minimal repairs to the water tank this week. The work will include covering, draining, cleaning and refilling the tank, according to the NYC Bird Alliance.
The latest update comes after a new nest box was installed on the roof of a nearby building along West 75th Street. The box was intended to give the young owls a safe place to rest during the day.
The NYC Bird Alliance said the young owls will face more challenges in the coming weeks as they eventually leave the family and establish their own territories.
The organization urges neighbors, building managers and green spaces not to use rodent poisons. Barn owls rely mainly on rodents for food, and eating a poisoned rodent could kill the young birds.
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