This blog post is part of a series on "Classic Rocks" — sandstone giants
located on the site of the former Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., most of which were
featured in old movies, cliffhanger serials and early TV shows. The rock in the spotlight for this entry might be considered a "sleeper," not just because of its horizontal orientation but also because it has yet to be spotted in a movie. Other entries in the "Classic Rock" series can be seen by
clicking here.
The Rock Cockatoo, or "Rockatoo" — at the bottom of the frame
Here's an Iverson character that the viewer may or may not "choose" to see. I suppose it's akin to those "magic eye" pictures that have a picture hidden within the picture, but you have to relax your eyes to be able to see it. To me, the Rock Cockatoo (or "Rockatoo") is as plain as day, ready to jump up and start chirping.
The Rock Cockatoo is seen at the bottom of the picture, oriented horizontally. This rock figure is found in the widely filmed South Rim area of the Upper Iverson Ranch, but back a ways from where most of the movie action took place. I haven't spotted it in a movie yet.
Here's a photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo for comparison.
Here's a detail from the wider photo showing just the cockatoo. The "eye" — which is a dark circle in both the real bird and its rock counterpart — is probably a good starting point for finding the bird's features, with the distinctive crack in the rock, above and to the right of the eye, forming much of the "bird's" bill. You may notice that the Rock Cockatoo also has a bit of that lovely yellow plumage at the top of its head.
