Greater roadrunner

A cuckoo that runs instead of flies

The greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) belongs to the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, but has evolved a strikingly different lifestyle: rather than flying, it runs. On powerful legs it sprints at more than 30 km/h across open ground, using its long tail as a rudder and raising or lowering its shaggy crest with its mood. Its plumage is a streaked mix of brown, white and black, with a bare patch of blue and red skin behind the eye that brightens during courtship.

Habitat and range

It lives in the arid lands of Aridoamerica, from the southwestern United States down into central Mexico. It favours deserts, chaparral, grasslands and sagebrush flats, where open terrain lets it run and scattered shrubs offer cover and nest sites. It is a sedentary, territorial bird that defends a large home range all year round.

Behaviour and diet

The roadrunner is a bold, opportunistic predator. It seizes insects, spiders, scorpions, lizards, small rodents and snakes — including rattlesnakes — with lightning dashes and jabs of its heavy bill. It also takes eggs, small birds and, in winter, seeds and fruit. On cold mornings it fluffs the feathers of its back to expose dark skin to the sun and rewarm after the chilly desert night.

Breeding

Pairs are generally monogamous and build a cup nest of twigs in a shrub or cactus. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the young. Its adaptability and broad diet keep it classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Did you know?

It is a cultural icon of the American Southwest and inspired the cartoon character Road Runner. It is also nicknamed the snake killer, chaparral cock and ground cuckoo.