The red-tailed tropicbird, native to the warm central Pacific Ocean waters off Hawaii, has been living for more than a month under quarantine at the International Bird Rescue’s Wildlife Center in San Pedro.

It apparently flew aboard a container ship in the central Pacific and was found after arrival at the Los Angeles Harbor.

The Torrance Daily Breeze says it took weeks to get federal permits needed to fly the bird to Hawaii.

The bird, traveling in a cat carrier, boards a Honolulu-bound flight on Thursday. It will be released on the Midway Atoll, its natural breeding grounds.