Rockefeller Christmas tree owl honored with Frontier Airlines tail
Every aircraft in Frontier's fleet features an animal on its tail, many of which represent endangered species, according to the airline. The tails are popular for kid and adult travelers alike.
The adult female northern saw-whet owl, originally thought to be a male, was dubbed Rockefeller after it was discovered last month by a worker setting up the towering Christmas tree in Manhattan.
Rocky made the 170-mile journey from upstate New York to the Big Apple in the Norway spruce.
The bird was taken to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in the Hudson Valley, where she dined on mice before returning to the wild. The center said that the northern saw-whet owl is one of the smallest in the northeast.
On Nov. 24, rehabilitator Ellen Kalish held the winsome raptor aloft in a field against a backdrop of rounded mountains. In a video posted on Ravensbeard's Facebook page, Rocky sits quietly on Kalish's fingers before winging her way over to a nearby grove of pines.
"Rocky's release was a success! She is a tough little bird and we're happy to see her back in her natural habitat," Ravensbeard Wildlife Center said in a Facebook post with a video of her release. "We are sure that Rocky will feel your love and support through her journey south."
The center, a donation-based non-profit, also asked for financial help to "continue our mission to help birds like Rocky for years to come" with a link to a GoFundMe page.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree's five miles of lights will be illuminated at a ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
https://www.9news.com/article/life/heartwarming/frontier-airlines-rockefeller-owl-christmas-tree/73-7110ee4d-d1eb-49a4-a433-07b193d1db22