One lucky family got a bobble boat this Christmas!
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) revealed on social media that one of their staff members was recently called to carefully remove an owl that had taken up residence atop a Christmas tree.
βIt was the week before Christmas, and there was an unexpected visitor sitting on the tree, magnificent as can be! π,” wrote AWLA with a couple of photos of the bird.
The organization jokingly noted that the creature — which they identified as a barred owl — “decided to play Santa” and fell down the chimney of a “local home” in Arlington, Va. The bird then flew to the top of the tree, knocked down the existing star and “proclaimed itself the newest star on top of their Christmas tree”.
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An AWLA officer went to the house and “gently” captured the owl before safely releasing it back into the wild.
The Instagram post also served as a reminder for homeowners to keep their chimneys “plugged” during the winter season to “prevent curious creatures from visiting,” the organization noted.
The warbler can be found in the central, northeastern and U.S. states and parts of Canada and often lives in forests and woodlands, according to AllAboutBirds.org. They often nest in large trees β which is probably why they feel right at home on Christmas trees.
See photos of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree from 1931 to today (the size of the first tree will shock you!)
This is not the first time an owl has been caught on a Christmas tree during the holidays. Last December, a Kentucky family discovered that a baby owl had been living inside a Christmas tree at their home for four days unnoticed, according to WDKY.
It wasn’t until the carpet cleaner noticed the animal “sitting on the lower limb” of the tree while he was working around the house. Homeowner Michelle White recalled to WDKY, βI thought he was going to put a stuffed animal or an ornament in it, so I called him right away. I said, ‘You’re kidding me, aren’t you?’ He said: ‘No’. ”
Owl rescued from Rockefeller’s Christmas tree. Courtesy of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center
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In 2019, another Georgia family found a live owl nestled in their evergreens β along with several other owl ornaments.
And in 2020, a tiny barn owl was found on the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York. The bird, nicknamed Rocky, was released back into the wild by the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education