Christmas holidays bring a rush of traditional joys that many in the world love to undertake. Things like decorating the house, hanging lights, and placing larger, usually lit things in the yard that highlight the timespan, fill spaces until there’s nothing but a happy holiday feeling in the air. And then there’s the tree.
The Christmas tree is a symbol of the holiday that is celebrated in many corners worldwide. These trees are usually pines or firs that give off a highly recognizable and much-loved smell contributing to the time of year. Historically, the tree originated back in the 16th century in Europe. It is said to have been Martin Luther who lit the first tree.
A Kentucky family recently purchased their annual Christmas tree. Before Thanksgiving, the chosen tree was packed and sent to the family by a corner tree lot located close to home. Soon, it was set up in the Lexington family’s house, and decorated per their family tradition.
Check the Tree
Four days after the tree was delivered and decorated, a family friend was in the house to clean the carpets when he noticed movement inside the tree. Curious, he looked closer at the tree and saw a small owl sitting on a lower limb. As he reached for it, the owl moved up and disappeared into the interior of the tree. After a few minutes of search and discovery, the friend was able to eventually extract the baby owl, take photos of it, text those photos to the family, and then release the young owl outside in the backyard which opens up to a nice, wooded location with a creek running through it.
The family was in disbelief that the bird could have gone unnoticed for as long as it had. They have three dogs and not one of them noticed something communing within the tree, simply hanging out. The family was quite active in the room where the tree was placed during the four days the owl went undetected. A short TikTok video made by one of the family chronicles the moment.
According to the family friend who released the baby owl, it flew straight up into the trees in the wooded area. The area strengthens the belief that the owl could well make the new location its home. It was likely inside the tree when the tree was originally cut and transported to the tree lot.
This isn’t the first owl to find itself caught in a Christmas tree. In 2020, an owl was discovered tucked into the base of the massive spruce tree selected to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The Northern Saw-whet Owl, nicknamed “Rocky” was presumably in the tree when it was cut down near Oneonta and transported to Manhattan.