STORM WATCH

Tracking rain, strong winds and coastal flooding for Long Island today.

Owl found inside Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in good condition

An owl that was stuck inside the furled Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for three days appears to be OK, according to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties.

News 12 Staff

Nov 19, 2020, 2:25 PM

Updated 1,463 days ago

Share:

An owl that was stuck inside the furled Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for three days appears to be OK, according to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties.
The truck driver, who drove the 75-foot Norway spruce from Oneonta to New York City, found the saw-whet owl stuck inside the Christmas tree upon his arrival.
The owl was then taken to the wildlife center to be checked out.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” says Ellen Kalish, the director of the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center. “He probably was trapped in when they tied it up and started to transport it. But the fact that he's in such great shape is wonderful."
Rockefeller, the bird’s new name, will be released back into the wild once he is fully recovered. There are about 2 million saw-whet owls in the wild in the United States.