“I felt like someone stuck a knife in my gut and twisted it.”

Photographer D. Bruce Yolton tells Hooray News the Upper West Side family of five young and two adults is using its water tank less as the owlets head off.

The roof of a water tower on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where a family of barn owls had been nesting, has been removed, causing concern among residents and wildlife advocates. The barn owls, believed to be the first documented nesting in Manhattan in modern history, had attracted significant attention from the public, including photographers and bird enthusiasts. Jessica Wilson of NYC Bird Alliance reported seeing a fledgling on a nearby building roof after the water tower roof was removed, noting that barn owls are nocturnal and fledglings should not be exposed to daylight. The removal of the roof, which was part of a water tower atop a building, was reported to authorities, prompting the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to investigate and order a halt to further demolition. The building's superintendent declined to comment, and it remains unclear who ordered the removal. State Senator Erik Bottcher condemned the incident, stating that active migratory bird nests are protected by law, and called for accountability. David Barrett, a birder and operator of Manhattan Bird Alert, emphasized the nest's high profile, stating it was 'well-known, incredibly well-known, written about widely.' Barn owls are rare in New York City, with sightings in parks being very uncommon. The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation notes that barn owls are at the northern edge of their range, and their population has declined alarmingly. Wilson expressed concern that the fledglings, who rely on parents for food, may not survive without the nest. This incident follows a series of wildlife moments in New York, including the passing of Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl and the long-standing presence of Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk. The removal of the water tower roof has sparked outrage, highlighting the challenges of urban wildlife conservation in densely populated areas.

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.

A family of barn owls has become the latest celebrity attraction on Manhattan’s Upper West Side after nesting in a water tower atop a building near Central Park.

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.

The feathered residents have attracted lots of attention, as their species is considered an extremely rare sight in the city