A rare family of barn owls moved into Manhattan’s Upper West Side. New Yorkers are captivated | National News

NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan’s Upper West Side has been reveling in the company of its latest celebrities: A family of barn owls nested in a water tower atop a building near Central Park.

This is the first documented instance of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history, according to one expert, and the owls have attracted nightly crowds of people in the street eager to get a glimpse of the elusive birds.

kAm“xE H2D[ =:<6[ E@E2==J D9@4<:?8[” p?5C6H u2C?DH@CE9[ 2 >:8C2E:@? 64@=@8:DE 2E E96 r@C?6== {23 @7 ~C?:E9@=@8J[ D2:5 @7 E96 32C? @H=D] “%@ E96 36DE @7 @FC @H=6586[ =:<6 E96 4@==64E:G6 3:C5:?8 @H=6586[ E96C6 92D?’E 366? 2 ?6DE :?[ J@F @H[ 😕 |2?92EE2?[ 2E =62DE 😕 C64@C565 9:DE@CJ]”k^Am

kAm(@C5 @7 E96 32C? @H= 72>:=J 5:5?VE 86E 2C@F?5 F?E:= =2DE H66<[ H96? t=:D236E9 (:==:2>D[ 2? &AA6C (6DE $:56 C6D:56?E[ ?@E:7:65 2 =@42= ?6HD @FE=6E @? ~4E] e E92E D96 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 D2H >F=E:A=6 @H=D 2E E96 H2E6C E@H6C 2E@A 2 3F:=5:?8 @? (6DE fdE9 $EC66E 4=@D6 E@ r6?EC2= !2C< (6DE]k^Am

kAm%96 4@FA=6 925 AC6G:@FD=J D66? 2 D:?8=6 @H= @? 2? 2A2CE>6?E H:?5@HD:== 2 76H 52JD 62C=:6C 2?5 H6C6 D9@4<65 6G6? E96?[ (:==:2>D C642==65]k^Am

kAm“x? 2 A=246 =:<6 |2?92EE2?[ J@F ?@C>2==J C62==J 92G6 E@ 8@ @FE @7 J@FC H2J E@ 6?4@F?E6C ?2EFC6[” D96 D2:5] “p?5 96C6 :E H2D[ ;FDE D@CE @7 C:89E @FED:56 @FC H:?5@H]”k^Am

k9amq2C? @H= D:89E:?8D 2C6 C2C6 😕 }6H *@C< r:EJk^9am

kAmxEVD ?@E E96 7:CDE E:>6 E92E 3:C5D 92G6 42AE:G2E65 }6H *@C<6CD] #6D:56?ED 92G6 72==6? 😕 =@G6 H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H@@54@4<\3:C5\?6H\J@C<\4:EJ\3CJ2?E\A2C<\b6a6`5d37gg3b47c24gbegh3b_2f3662Qmp>6C:42? H@@54@4:8C2E6 ?@CE9 😕 62C=J DAC:?8] p?5 27E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^7=24@\@H=\>6>@C:2=\46?EC2=\A2C<\K@@\6D42A6\`f6f7`2654`g`5h_dgg_2fb3bf7g2d26Qmu=24@ E96 tFC2D:2? 628=6\@H= 5:65 😕 a_ack^2m[ 5@K6?D @7 >@FC?7F= 72?D 82E96C65 E@ D2J 8@@53J6 E@ E96 36=@G65 4C62EFC6 H9@ 7=6H 2C@F?5 |2?92EE2? 2?5 3642>6 2 ;@J E@ >2?J 27E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^7=24@\@H=\46?EC2=\A2C<\K@@\6D42A6\7_f625“5c__dg_d__g47cbhf67g6c7hQmD@>6@?6 =6E 9:> @FE @7 9:D K@@ 6?4=@DFC6k^2m E96 AC6G:@FD J62C]k^Am

kAmqFE 32C? @H= D:89E:?8D 😕 }6H *@C< r:EJ A2C6?E @7 !2CAj #64C62E:@?] }6H *@C< 😀 2E E96 ?@CE96C? 7C:?86 @7 E96 32C? @H=VD C2?86 2?5 E96 32C? @H= A@AF=2E:@? 92D 564=:?65 “2E 2? 2=2C>:?8 C2E6” @G6C E:>6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?G:C@?>6?E2= r@?D6CG2E:@?]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D =@ED @7 6I4:E6>6?E 2>@?8 }6H *@C<6CD[ 3@E9 3:C56CD 2?5 ?@?\3:C56CD 2=:<6[ 23@FE E96D6 @H=D 3642FD6 @H=D C62==J 42AEFC6 E96 2EE6?E:@?[” D2:5 y6DD:42 (:=D@?[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 }*r q:C5 p==:2?46] “%96J’C6 >28:42=[ E96J’C6 ?@4EFC?2=[ E96J 2C6 D64C6E:G6[ E96J’C6 ?@E 4@>>@?=J D66?[ 6DA64:2==J @? E96 &AA6C (6DE $:56 @7 |2?92EE2?] p?5 E@ 92G6 E9:D 492?46 E@ D66 E96D6 3:C5D 😀 C62==J E9C:==:?8]”k^Am

kAm!9@E@8C2A96CD 2?5 42DF2= @?=@@<6CD 92G6 82E96C65 @? E96 DEC66E @? 2 ?:89E=J 32D:D E@ DA@E E96 @H=D]k^Am

kAm“x’G6 @?=J D66? @?6 32C? @H= 6G6C[ 2?5 E92E H2D 😕 r2=:7@C?:2[” D2:5 ‘2= r@=6>2?[ 2 C6E:C65 }6H *@C< r:EJ C6D:56?E H9@ H2D @? E96 &AA6C (6DE $:56 62C=:6C E9:D H66< ECJ:?8 E@ DA@E E96 @H=D] “pE 5FD<[ H6 9@A6 E96J H:== 4@>6 @FE E@ 9F?E] (6 9@A6 E96J 5@?’E 62E A@:D@?65 C2ED H:E9 C@56?E:4:56 😕 ’6>]”k^Am

kAms2G:5 q2CC6EE[ 2 |2?92EE2?\32D65 3:C56C H9@ CF?D E96 A@AF=2C D@4:2= >65:2 244@F?E[ |2?92EE2? q:C5 p=6CE[ D2:5 96’D @3D6CG65 2E =62DE @?6 25F=E 32C? @H= 2?5 7:G6 7=658=:?8D 2E E96 H2E6C E@H6C] w6’D 2=D@ D66? 2? 25F=E @H= 42CCJ:?8 C@56?ED 324< E@ E96 H2E6C E@H6C] %96C6 2C6 36=:6G65 E@ 36 EH@ 25F=E @H=D[ 2?5 D@>6 A9@E@8C2A96CD 92G6 4=2:>65 E@ 92G6 D66? D:I 7=658=:?8D[ q2CC6EE 25565]k^Am

kAm“w2G:?8 @?6 32C? @H= 😀 2 C2C:EJ[ 3FE :E’D ?@E ?2E:@?2= ?6HD] w2G:?8 2 72>:=J[ 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 6G6C[ 3C665:?8 😕 |2?92EE2? 😕 C64@C565 9:DE@CJ[ E92E’D DA64:2= ?6HD[” q2CC6EE D2:5]k^Am

k9am$4C6649:?8 H2D 962C5 3J C6D:56?EDk^9am

kAmq67@C6 E96 C646?E 32C? @H= D:89E:?8D[ (:==:2>D 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 962C5 A6C:@5:4 D4C6649:?8 ?@:D6D @FED:56 8@:?8 324< E@ 62C=J $6AE6>36C] %96J :?:E:2==J 2DDF>65 :E H2D 2 3:C5 @7 D@>6 <:?5 3FE H6C6 D<6AE:42= H96? 2 A9@?6 2AA :?5:42E65 E96 ?@:D6 H2D 7C@> 2 32C? @H=]k^Am

kAm%9@>2D ~36CDE6:?6C D2:5 E92E 96 7:CDE 962C5 3:K2CC6 D4C6649:?8 2?5 H2:=:?8 ?@:D6D 7C@> @FED:56 @?6 6G6?:?8 😕 >:5\$6AE6>36C] xE D@F?565 =:<6 D@>6@?6 H2D “36:?8 >FC56C65 @FED:56[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“%92E =2DE65 7@C EH@ @C E9C66 H666E:>6D >@C6[ D@>6E:>6D =6DD[ 4@>:?8 7C@> 5:776C6?E 5:C64E:@?D[” ~36CDE6:?6C 25565] “qFE x 925 ?@ :562 H92E E92E H2D]”k^Am

kAm~? >F=E:A=6 @442D:@?D[ ~36CDE6:?6C @C 9:D H:76 C2? :?E@ E96:C 49:=5C6?VD 365C@@> 27E6C >:DE2<:?8 E96 @H=DV D4C6649 7@C 2 49:=5 😕 A2:?[ 96 D2:5] xE H2D?VE F?E:= 96 D2H 2 ?6HD C6A@CE E92E 96 C62=:K65 E92E @H=D H6C6 >2<:?8 E96 D@F?5D]k^Am

kAmu2C?DH@CE9 D2:5 E96 D4C6649 😀 EJA:42= @7 32C? @H=D[ H9@ FD6 :E E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 @?6 2?@E96C] %96 D4C6649 😀 =:<6 2 “9@CC@C >@G:6 <:?5 @7 6IA6C:6?46[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm~36CDE6:?6C[ H9@ D2:5 9:D C@@7 564< 😀 E96 “AC@323=J E96 36DE =@42E:@? 😕 E@H? C:89E ?@H” E@ H2E49 E96 @H=D[ 92D 366? =6EE:?8 ?2EFC6 A9@E@8C2A96CD 2446DD E92E A6C49 E@ @3D6CG6 E96 @H=D “2=>@DE 6G6CJ ?:89E” D:?46 ?6HD @7 E96 32C? @H=D DAC625] ~? @?6 ?:89E =2DE H66<[ a_ A6@A=6 925 82E96C65]k^Am

kAm“(6 42?’E D2J ?@ 3642FD6 :E’D D@ >F49 7F? 2?5 E96D6 A6@A=6 2C6 D@ D6C:@FD[” ~36CDE6:?6C 25565] “xEVD 362FE:7F=]”k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 H6C6 ?@E 3:C5 H2E496CD 367@C6 E96 32C? @H= 72>:=J >@G65 😕 E@ E96 H2E6C E@H6C] qFE E92E >2J 492?86 D@@? 27E6C E96:C “56=:89E7F=” 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< H6’C6 23@FE E@ 364@>6 3:C56CD[” (:==:2>D D2:5]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmz6=6EJ C6A@CE65 7C@> !9@6?:I]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.