By Gus Saltonstall
It appears there has been an eviction attempt involving some of the Upper West Side’s most famous new residents.
On Thursday, the roof of the water tower of a building on West 75th Street, between Columbus and Central Park West, where a family of Barn owls has nested since the beginning of October, was removed.
“Upon visiting the UWS barn owl roost today, I noticed that the roof had been removed from the water tower,” an anonymous tipster wrote to West Side Rag on Thursday. “There were no owls in sight.”
Jacqueline Emery, a well-known wildlife photographer, also sent in photos of a man taking the roof off of the tower.
“Such a disappointing and deeply concerning turn of events!” Emery wrote to the Rag. “We’re worried about the family, especially the owlets. One of them appears to be perching out in the open on a rooftop — not a safe place for a young owl.”
Here is what the water tower with the owls looked like prior to the roof removal.
5 Barn Owls on an Upper West Side water tower! 🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉What an incredible Manhattan moment! So grateful to witness such fabulous wildlife right here in our city. See my previous post for a close-up!
#birdcpp, #NYCWildlife, #UrbanWildlife, #NYC https://t.co/2IMouFGwnd
— Anke Frohlich Photography (@_AnkeFrohlich) October 10, 2026
As mentioned by the popular social media account, Manhattan Bird Alert, there are laws against taking apart bird nests in New York State. Specifically, active nests of migratory birds are protected under federal and state law, and destroying one without a permit is prohibited. However, the details and reasoning for the roof removal of the Upper West Side water tower remain unclear as of Thursday at 4 p.m.
On Wednesday, J.F. Grossen sent in a video to WSR showing some sort of torch work that produced flames directly underneath the owls’ nest within the water tower. Now, a day later, the roof to the water tower is gone.
Video shared with West Side Rag shows torch work that happened on Wednesday, which produced flames and smoke directly underneath the Barn Owls’ nest on the Upper West Side.
Now, a day later, the roof is gone.
Video by J.F. Grossen https://t.co/fVbkb6wWqG
— Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) October 29, 2026
It is also unclear if the owls will vacate the water tower now that the protective roof is gone.
“New Yorkers have spent the past month falling in love with this owl family, and we share their anguish and outrage today,” said Jessica Wilson, Executive Director of NYC Bird Alliance, in a news release. “We’re asking that all work stop now so these owls have every chance to survive, and we’ll keep working with building management, as well as state and federal wildlife officials to make sure they’re protected.”
Following West Side Rag’s first report about the Upper West Side Barn owls, their popularity has swept across the country. The family consists of two adult Barn owls and up to six owlets. The story of the neighborhood newcomers was covered by The New York Times, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, and others.
Barn owls are incredibly rare in New York City.
This is a developing story, please check back in for updates.
Read More:
- The Late-Night Birders Flocking to the UWS To Capture a Shot of the Resident Barn Owl Family
- Multiple Barn Owls Possibly Spotted in Upper West Side Building Courtyard
- Barn Owl Spotted Outside of Upper West Side Buildings: ‘Extremely Rare in NYC’
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