A photo of the owl perched on a family’s Christmas tree.Photo:Animal Welfare League of Arlington/Instagram (2)
Animal Welfare League of Arlington/Instagram (2)
One lucky family got a hoot of a tree topper this Christmas!
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA)revealed on social mediathat one of their officers was recently called in to carefully remove an owl that made itself at home on top of a Christmas tree.
“Twas the week before Christmas, and perched on the tree was an unexpected visitor as majestic as can be! 🎄,” the AWLA wrote alongside a pair of photos of the bird.
The organization jokingly noted that the creature — which they identified as a barred owl — “decided to play Santa” and dropped in through the chimney of a “local home” in Arlington, Va. The bird then flew over to the top of the tree, knocked over the existing star and “declared himself the newest star on top of their Christmas tree.”
An AWLA officer went to the home 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 “capped” during the winter season to “prevent curious critters from coming to visit," the organization noted.
The Barred Owl can be found in the middle, northern eastern and U.S. states and parts of Canada and often live in forests and woodlands, according toAllAboutBirds.org. They often nest in large trees — which is why they probably feel so at home in Christmas trees.
It wasn’t until a carpet cleaner noticed the animal “sitting on a lower limb” of the tree while working in the house. Homeowner Michelle White recalled to WDKY, “I thought he’d put a stuffed animal or an ornament in it, so I called him immediately. I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me, right?’ He was like, ‘No.’ ”
The owl rescued from the Rockefeller Christmas tree.Courtesy Ravensbeard Wildlife Center
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In 2019, another Georgia family found a live owlnestled in their evergreen— alongside several other owl ornaments.
source: people.com