GREATER ROADRUNNER

The 'Greater Roadrunner' (''Geococcyx californianus'') is a large, long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is one of the two roadrunner species in the genus ''Geococcyx''. The roadrunner is also known as a Chaparral.

Contents

Description

Habitat

Behavior

Popular culture

Image gallery

See also

References

External links

Description

The adult is about 56 cm long with a bushy crest and long thick dark bill. It has a long dark tail, a dark head and back, and is pale on the front of the neck and on the belly. Roadrunners have four toes, two face forward, and two face backward.

Habitat

The breeding habitat is desert and shrubby country in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It can be seen in the US states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas,and rarely in Arkansas, Missouri, and Louisiana. The Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.

Behavior

The Greater Roadrunner nests on a platform of sticks low in cactus or a bush and lays 3-6 eggs which hatch in 20 days. The chicks fledge in another 18 days. Pairs may occasionally rear a second brood.
This bird walks rapidly about, running down prey or occasionally jumping up to catch insects or birds. It mainly feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and small birds.
Although capable of flight, it spends most of their time on the ground, and can run at speeds of 15 miles per hour or more.

Popular culture

★ The Greater Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico, USA.

★ The Greater Roadrunner is the mascot of California State University, Bakersfield, Metropolitan State College of Denver, State Fair Community College (Sedalia, Missouri), Midland College (Midland, Texas), and University of Texas at San Antonio are roadrunners.

★ The Hopi and Pueblo Indian tribes believed that the roadrunner provided protection against evil spirits.

★ Is said to be loosely the basis of the character Road Runner in the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon shorts by Chuck Jones, in which he came with the idea from a note by Mark Twain in his film ''Roughing It''.

Image gallery

See also

★ Roadrunner

References

★ Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

★

External links

★ Cornell

★ Roadrunner

★ Geococcyx californianus

★ Greater roadrunner

★ Stamps