I’ve studied many urban nests, starting with Pale Male’s nest on 927 Fifth Avenue. Over the years, I’ve followed many of the Red-tailed Hawk nests in the city, a few Eastern Screech Owl and Great Horned Owl nests, and a few Peregrine Falcon nests.

They are fascinating to watch, and I’ve learned a lot about each species. How often can you take the subway to a nest? I’m looking forward to learning more about these American Barn Owls.

On Tuesday night, I saw two of the fledglings lock talons while perched and preen each other. I never expected to see that in Manhattan.

The parents are feeding the fledgling, mostly on the water tank. The fledglings tend to wonder at this early stage, and having a central feeding location helps corral them. I’m looking forward to seeing how far the fledglings explore their urban environment and then explore Central Park.

American Barn Owls, unlike the other owls we see in New York City, wait until it is pitch black to appear. This is unlike the Barred Owls or Great Horned Owls, we infrequently see in Central Park. So watching them is a completely different experience. You can’t come at dusk with binoculars and expect to see much, especially on a clear night. Even most cameras, especially hand-held cameras will fail to take a decent image.

There are also limited windows to watch the water tank. It is in the center of the block and there are only limited windows to view the tank from Central Park West or West 75th Street. These get packed with onlookers at dusk, but being in the scrum won’t help you see the owls once it gets dark.

It’s also getting harder to see the owls now that they have fledged. They are often not in view now as they explore the buildings around the tank.

So, if the news reports have you clamoring to see these owls, just know it will take some effort to see them.