Two moon-shaped eyes peered out of the Public Square Christmas tree while teams removed the decoration on Monday morning.
A small owl was spotted in the tree, one of Public Square's biggest holiday decorations. "This Christmas tree is artificial," Public Square Digital Marketing Director Katherine Boyd said in an email statement. "Lots have asked if it's real or not. Apparently, the owl thought it looked real enough."
Public Square shared a photo of the owl on its social media channels, and it sparked attention from some commenters, a few of whom identified it as a Northern saw-whet owl. (The Northern saw-whet owl is Ohio's smallest owl, typically weighing less than four ounces. They're nocturnal, and rarely spotted in the daytime.)
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Before dismantling the tree, Public Square's general manager reached out to the City of Cleveland, which contacted the Ohio Department of National Resources. The organization identified that it was an adult owl which hadn't made a nest, according to Boyd. The owl flew away on Monday morning on its own.
"I never know what’s going to strike a chord with people," Boyd says, "but this owl story has really taken flight. (Bad pun intended.)"
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