Greater Roadrunner
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bgag" title="User:Bgag">Bernard Gagnon</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
NameGreater Roadrunner
Common NameGreater Roadrunner
Scientific NameGeococcyx californianus
FamilyCuculidae
Wingspan (cm)48
Length (cm)56
Weight (g)330
Plumage DetailsThe plumage is streaky brown and white on the back, wings, and head, providing excellent camouflage. It features a shaggy crest of dark feathers, a long, dark tail often held cocked upwards, and a pale belly. A patch of bare skin behind the eye can display blue and red coloration.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations include a distinctive descending series of coos, often described as 'coo-coo-coo-coo-coo', typically given in the morning. They also produce a rapid, mechanical-sounding bill clatter.
Primary Dietcarnivore
Primary Habitatsdesert, shrubland, grassland, chaparral, open woodlands
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound in the southwestern United States, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, extending south through much of Mexico.
Identifying Featureslong shaggy crest, long, dark, cocked tail with white tips, streaky brown and white plumage, bare skin patch behind eye (blue/red), long, strong legs and zygodactyl feet, prefers running over flying
Description
A large, long-tailed, ground-dwelling cuckoo known for its remarkable speed and agility. This bird primarily runs to catch prey and navigate its arid environment, rarely taking to flight. It is a distinctive resident of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
