These Manhattan barn owls have a new place to roost.
A group of barn owls whose nest was torn apart by a construction crew on the Upper West Side has been provided with a new nesting site after the destruction outraged residents and prompted a state investigation.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said Saturday that it had installed a replacement nesting area for the birds. Their original roost was located inside a water tower atop a building near West 75th Street and Central Park West.
“To protect any barn owls at the site, an alternative roost location, or owl box, was installed under the direction and oversight of DEC,” the agency said in a statement to The Post. The statement included a photograph of the new wooden, birdhouse-like structure.
The department said it “is committed to protecting native wildlife and ensuring their safety and well-being.” DEC officials also said they are continuing to monitor the active barn owl roost near the West 75th Street water tower.
Construction workers initially destroyed the nest while dismantling the Upper West Side water tower earlier this week. DEC police ordered the demolition to stop while the agency investigated possible violations of state law.
However, the crew resumed work just hours after receiving the stop-work order Friday, further damaging the owls’ former nesting site.
Destroying an active barn owl nest is illegal because the species is protected under New York state law.
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The owls, which had become neighborhood “celebrities” after moving onto the rooftop earlier this month, survived the initial destruction and later returned to the site.
Wildlife experts warned that the second disruption could have serious consequences for the birds.
“The work that happened today definitely disturbed them even more,” Jessica Wilson, executive director of the NYC Bird Alliance, said Friday.
Barn owl nests are exceptionally rare in New York City. The Upper West Side site was the first recorded barn owl nest in Manhattan outside Central Park.
The nocturnal birds frequently nest in man-made structures. Their nesting season typically begins in April or May, when young owls prepare to leave and establish their own home ranges.
By August or November, most young barn owls have typically left their nests and established homes of their own.
After fledglings naturally separate from their parents, they may settle elsewhere in Manhattan or move to nearby areas and join other barn owl populations.
The Upper West Side property owner was served with a cease-and-desist order Friday. Meanwhile, citing concern for the vulnerable owls, the New York Road Runners—the organizers of Sunday’s marathon—canceled a planned drone show over Central Park.
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