Tiny owl rescued after hiding in Rockefeller Centre's Christmas tree

Workers helping transport the large spruce to New York City spotted the small bird among the massive branches

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In what feels like a perfectly timed story for the holidays, a tiny saw-whet owl has been rescued after being discovered clinging on to the branches of the Rockefeller Centre's Christmas tree.

Workers helping transport the large spruce 274 kilometres from Oneonta, New York, to New York City spotted the small bird among the massive branches of the 23-metre Norway evergreen.

The Rockefeller Centre's Christmas tree is an annual festive tradition that takes place in Manhattan. The towering tree is put in place in front of Rockefeller Centre, a large complex housing a number of commercial buildings, and then decorated over some weeks before being lit for the public in early December.

The little owl, now named Rockefeller, was found dehydrated and hungry but otherwise unharmed. He was brought to a veterinarian and given a clean bill of health, said Ellen Kalish, director and founder of the Ravensbeard Wildlife Centre in Saugerties, New York, where the bird was taken.

In an update on Facebook, the centre writes: “Saw-whet owls find a new mate every year and are resilient in finding safe places. This owl is a full-grown adult and is very capable of finding new territory. We believe it would be even more traumatic to transport him yet again when he can be safely released here on the grounds of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center where there are acres of trees to choose from."