Rare Barn Owl Family Draws Crowds on Manhattan’s Upper West Side
By Emma Carter
Image information
This is a representative image for this Daily News lesson.
Intro
A family of barn owls has made an unexpected home in a water tower on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, attracting people who hope to see the rare birds.
Vocabulary
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| attraction noun | noun | Meaning: a place or thing that makes people interested or want to visit | Example: The new science museum is a popular attraction for families. |
| nocturnal adjective | adjective | Meaning: active mainly at night | Example: Bats are nocturnal animals that usually rest during the day. |
| secretive adjective | adjective | Meaning: likely to hide or avoid attention | Example: The secretive cat stayed under the bed when visitors arrived. |
| documented adjective | adjective | Meaning: recorded or shown clearly in written or official information | Example: This is the first documented case of the bird in the region. |
| declined verb | verb | Meaning: became smaller or fewer over time | Example: The number of visitors declined after the exhibit closed. |
The story
A family of barn owls has become an unexpected attraction on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The birds nested in a water tower on top of a building near Central Park, close to West 75th Street and Central Park West.
The owls became widely known after Upper West Side resident Elisabeth Williams told a local news outlet on October 6 that she and her husband had seen several birds at the water tower. A few days earlier, they had seen one owl sitting on an apartment windowsill.
Since then, photographers, bird watchers, and curious residents have gathered in the street at night, hoping to see the birds. Barn owls are nocturnal, meaning they are most active after dark. They are also secretive and are not often seen in this part of the city.
Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said the nest appears to be the first documented example of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history. He said this conclusion is based on the available recorded knowledge about birds in the area.
The sighting is unusual for another reason. Barn owls are rarely seen in New York City parks, and New York is near the northern edge of their natural range. The state’s barn owl population has also declined over time.
The owls are the latest birds to capture New Yorkers’ attention. In past years, residents followed other unusual city birds, including an eagle-owl and a red-tailed hawk. For now, the barn owl family is giving people a surprising view of nature in a crowded neighborhood.
Warm-up questions
- What animals have you seen in a city? Where did you see them?
- Why might people gather to watch an unusual animal at night?
Comprehension questions
- Where did the barn owls build their nest?
- How did the owls become widely known?
- Why do people gather in the street at night?
- What did Andrew Farnsworth say about the nest?
- Why is the sighting unusual?
Opinion questions
- Would you want to join the crowd watching the owls? Why or why not?
- Do unusual animals make city life more interesting? Explain your opinion.
Further discussion
- How can people watch wild animals without disturbing them?
- Why might some animals live successfully in crowded cities?
Writing prompt
- Write a short paragraph explaining why the barn owl family attracted so much attention.
