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 holiday 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 a 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 spot the bird after their dog made a 'huge ruckus' downstairs.
'I came into our kitchen, and there was a huge owl sitting on our baby's high chair,' Savannah told WUSA9.
Savannah contacted Jason and animal services after she was unsure of what to do.
'I was worried and didn't want to do anything to stress it out or to go near it,' Savannah explained.
An unusual 'tree topper' sat atop of a Christmas tree inside the Burgoyne family's home in Virginia on December 19
The barred owl sat on the tree for over an hour while the family waited for an animal services officer to safely remove the animal from their home
Jason revealed he and Savannah's children were 'over the moon' about the new 'tree topper' due to their love of animals while speaking with WUSA9.
Murray chased the owl around the house with a net while it flew back and forth from their kitchen and Christmas tree after he arrived.
'He was able to get it into the net, and he took it outside and released it in our backyard,' Jason said.
Savannah was disappointed the owl was 'not a Hogwarts enrollment offer,' but still thought it made a beautiful tree topper.
'A lot of people, when we shared the picture, originally thought it was a fake tree topper. But my little sister also said that owls bring peace and Prosperity,' she said.
The Burgoynes also enjoyed comments made by animal enthusiasts who saw photos of the owl on the AWLA's Facebook page.
'Some of the comments are like, "Oh it's a good Omen" and "It's a sign of a good new year to come," which is a really nice thought after the owl standoff,' Savannah said.
The barred owl has not returned to the Burgoyne's house since that night, but its species is common in Virginia.
Homeowners Savannah and Jason Burgoyne revealed their children were 'over the moon' about the incident while speaking with WUSA9
Sergeant Spencer Murray of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) safely removed the animal from the Virginia home
Arlington is located in northern Virginia, which is where residents will likely see barred owls, according to the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance.
Barred owls are the most common species in the northern Virginia area.
The nocturnal animals are known for their round heads with no ear tufts, brown eyes, and horizontal barring on their throats.
Barred owls usually make noises at dusk or dawn and late at night, but the animal in the Burgoynes home did not make a sound in their video.
If it were to make noise, the family and animal services officer would've likely heard cackling or caterwauling.
The owls' territories are usually around wooded areas, and some of them can settle in upland forests - forests with a tree canopy cover that covers 50 to 100 percent of the area.
Barred owls are classified as 'endangered,' but they are a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Besides Virginia, anyone in North America can find these animals in other states through the eastern half and western north of the US and Canada.
The average lifespan of a barred owl is around 10 years, and they're usually only a danger to humans if they appear to intrude their territories.
