New Habitat lumber comes from Rocky’s old habitat

Perhaps no one knows Rocky’s exact location these days, but at least his tree has come home.

Of course you remember the little bird who last year at this time unwittingly hitched a ride from his home in a tree in West Oneonta all the way to Manhattan’s Rockefeller Plaza, where that same tree stood to herald the holiday season in Midtown. Fans quickly dubbed the little guy “Rocky” as a result, and he attracted plenty of attention from visitors, media, and at least a dozen children’s book authors.

His temporary celebrity status affirmed, Rocky made it back into the wild through the good work of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York. Ravensbeard did not attach a tracking device to the owl and, when they set Rocky free, Rocky was free forever.