Greater Roadrunner |
Classification
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Geococcyx
(State Bird of New Mexico)
Characteristics
The greater roadrunner is a member of the cuckoo family. It is a ground bird that is about two feet in length. It has speckled brown and black feathers on its back and wings and a lighter throat and chest with dark stripes. It has long legs, a very long tail and yellow eyes. It has a crest on its head and the male has a red and blue patch of skin on the side of its head.
Range
The greater roadrunner can be found in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. It is also found in Mexico.
Habitat
The greater roadrunner is most common in desert areas, but it can also be found in chaparral, grasslands, open woodlands and agricultural areas.
Diet
The greater roadrunner eats small snakes,
lizards, mice, scorpions, spiders, ground nesting birds
and insects. It also eats fruits and seeds.
Life
Cycle
The female lays three to six eggs in a stick nest
lined with grass. The nest is usually placed in a low
tree, bush, thicket or cactus 3-15 feet above the
ground. Males do most of the incubating because they
keep a normal body temperature at night. The female's
body temperature drops at night.
If a predator comes too close to the nest, the male will
run in a crouch until he is a short distance away from
the nest. He then will stand up, raise and lower the
crest on his head, flash the blue and red patches on the
sides of his head and call out in an attempt to lure the
predator away from the nest.
The chicks hatch in about 20 days. Both parents care for
the young. The chicks leave the nest when they are 18
days old and can feed themselves when they are 21 days
old
Behavior
The roadrunner gets its name from its great running ability. When it is startled it will run rather than fly. It is a poor flyer but can run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. It uses its long tail as a type of rudder to help it keep its balance while running