A family in Arlington, Virginia, was stunned to see an unusual addition to their Christmas tree.
Homeowners Savannah and Jason Burgoyne took photos of their surprising new Christmas decor on December 19.
Initially a star, the Burgoyne family’s ‘tree topper’ became a wild barred owl after it flew into their home through the chimney.
The family took photos and video of the bird and enlisted the help of Sergeant Spencer Murray of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) to safely remove it from their home.
Savannah revealed she was the first person to see the bird after their dog made a ‘huge fuss’ downstairs.
“I walked into our kitchen and there was a huge owl sitting on our baby’s high chair,” Savannah said WUSA9.
Savannah contacted Jason and animal control after she wasn’t sure what to do.
“I was worried and didn’t want to do anything to emphasize it or even come close to it,” Savannah explained.
An unusual ‘tree topper’ sat atop a Christmas tree at the Burgoyne family home in Virginia on December 19
The barred owl sat in the tree for over an hour as the family waited for an animal services worker to safely remove the animal from their home
Jason revealed that he and Savannah’s kids were “over the moon” about the new “tree topper” because of their love of animals while speaking to WUSA9.
Murray chased the owl around the house with a net as it flew back and forth from their kitchen and Christmas tree after arriving.
“He managed to get it in the net, took it outside and released it in our backyard,” Jason said.
Savannah was disappointed that the owl was “not an enrollment offer for Hogwarts,” but still thought it was a beautiful tree topper.
‘When we shared the photo, many people initially thought it was a fake tree topper. But my sister also said that owls bring peace and prosperity,” she said.
The Burgoynes also enjoyed comments from animal lovers who saw photos of the owl in the photo AWLA Facebook page.
“Some comments are like, ‘Oh, it’s a good omen’ and ‘It’s a sign of a good new year,’ which is a really nice thought after the standoff with the owls,” Savannah said.
The barred owl has not returned to the Burgoyne home since that night, but the species is common in Virginia.
Homeowners Savannah and Jason Burgoyne revealed their children were ‘over the moon’ about the incident while speaking to WUSA9
Sergeant Spencer Murray of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) safely removed the animal from the Virginia home
Arlington is in northern Virginia, where residents are likely to see barred owls, according to the Bird Alliance of Northern Virginia.
Barred owls are the most common species in northern Virginia.
The nocturnal animals are known for their round heads without ear tufts, brown eyes and horizontal stripes on their throats.
Barred owls usually make sounds at dusk or dawn and late at night, but the animal in Burgoynes’ home made no sound in their video.
If it made a noise, the family and animal control officer would likely have heard a cackle or cackle.
The owls’ territory is usually around wooded areas, and some may settle in upland forests – forests with a canopy covering 50 to 100 percent of the area.
Barred owls are classified as “threatened,” but are an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. U.S. Fish and Game Service.
Besides Virginia, everyone in North America can find these animals in other states in the eastern half and western north of the US and Canada.
The average lifespan of a barred owl is about 10 years, and they usually only pose a danger to humans if they appear to be encroaching on their territory.