It wasn't quite a partridge in a pear tree, but a worker helping set up the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree found a holiday surprise — a tiny owl among the massive branches.

The little bird, now named what else but Rockefeller, was discovered on Monday, dehydrated and hungry, but otherwise unharmed, said Ellen Kalish, director and founder of the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York, where the bird was taken.

Kalish said the bird is an adult male Saw-whet owl, one of the tiniest owls. It was taken to a veterinarian on Wednesday and got a clean bill of health.

“He's had a buffet of all-you-can-eat mice, so he's ready to go," she said.

She said the plan was to release the owl back to the wild this weekend.

The tree, a 75-foot (23-meter) Norway spruce, had been brought to Manhattan on Saturday from Oneonta, New York, in the central part of the state. The tree is put in place and then decorated over some weeks before being lit for the public in early December.

Share:
More In Culture
Thanksgiving Manners and Etiquette
Thanksgiving is all about spending time with family and friends, but it also comes with social obligations. Dr. Sheree Sekou, principal consultant at Sheree Sekou Consulting, joined Cheddar News to discuss how to navigate holiday etiquette and answered questions from Cheddar News staff.
Actress Garcelle Beauvais, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Partner for Haiti's Pockets of Hope Campaign
November is when Haiti commemorates becoming the first independent Black republic in the world. And 120 years later, the country's development continues. Haitian-American actress and humanitarian Garcelle Beauvais and Alex Cantave, senior program officer for Haiti at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation spoke with Cheddar News about their partnership to help the country's Pockets of Hope campaign, which looks to generate $90 million for education, health, and economic development initiatives in Haiti over the next three years.
Load More