This year’s holiday season is anything but ordinary, and even the classic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree faced an unusually troubled start to the season. The 75-foot Norway spruce was en route to the Big Apple when workers discovered a tiny owl living in its branches.
Fortunately, the workers safely placed the owl in a box and contacted Ellen Kalish, the founder, and director of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York. Kalish came to the owl’s rescue and identified the bird as a saw-whet owl, one of the smallest in North America.
The bird was taken back to the wildlife center for water and food and is set to be released into the wild soon. Center staff have affectionately named the owl “Rockefeller” and anticipate the owl will make a full recovery and assimilate back into new territory.
Although ideally the bird would not have been disturbed in the first place, it is good to hear that the little creature will make a full recovery!
