Manhattan Rooftop Work Destroys Nest of Rare Barn Owls

WHO:

Gothamist - A family of barn owls nested on a water tower; the article describes them as protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

ABC News US - A family of “celebrity barn owls” lived atop a Manhattan building.

NY Post - Construction workers were involved in destroying the rare barn-owl nest.

WHAT:

Gothamist - Rooftop work wrecked the barn-owl nest; owl lovers reacted with outrage, with one headline calling it a crime.

ABC News US - The roof of the water tower that housed the barn-owl family was removed.

NY Post - Construction workers destroyed the rare NYC barn-owl nest despite a stop-work order.

NY Post - A person reacting to the nest’s destruction said, “I felt like someone stuck a knife in my gut and twisted it.”

WHERE:

Gothamist - The nest was on a water tower on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

ABC News US - The water tower was atop a building in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

NY Post - The destroyed nest was in New York City.

WHY:

NY Post - The nest was destroyed during construction work, despite a stop-work order.

HOW:

ABC News US - The roof of the water tower was removed.

NY Post - Construction workers proceeded despite a stop-work order.

(UPDATED October 30, 2026 23:00 UTC)

Construction work destroyed a protected barn-owl family’s nest atop a water tower on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Workers removed the tower roof despite a stop-work order. The celebrity owls’ nest destruction sparked outrage among owl lovers.