Greater Roadrunner

Geococcyx californianus

Order CUCULIFORMES - Family CUCULIDAE - Subfamily Neomorphinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Sound
4. Range
5. Habitat
6. Food
7. Behavior
8. Reproduction
9. Conservation Status
10. Other Names

The Greater Roadrunner is a signature bird of the desert Southwest. During the 20th century, its range expanded all the way to southern Missouri and western Louisiana. A ground-dwelling cuckoo, it feeds on snakes, scorpions, and any other small animal it can catch and subdue.

Cool Facts

• The Greater Roadrunner can reach running speeds of 30 km/hr (18.6 mi/hr). It holds its head and tail flat and parallel to the ground when running at its top speed.

• To warm up after a cold desert night, a roadrunner will turn its back to the sun, fluff its back feathers, and expose skin along its back. This skin is black in order to absorb more solar energy.

• The Greater Roadrunner eats many venomous prey items, including scorpions, spiders, and rattlesnakes. Two birds may cooperate to kill a large snake.

• The Greater Roadrunner is an opportunistic forager. It frequently captures small birds at bird feeders and nest boxes. One was observed to leap up from hiding in a dry riverbed and knock down a low-flying White-throated Swift.

• The desert-dwelling roadrunner uses salt glands in front of its eyes to excrete excess salt from its blood. Such glands are common in ocean-going birds that can drink seawater. The roadrunner is able to get along without drinking water if it eats food with high enough water content, but it will drink readily if water is available.

Description

• Size: 52-54 cm (20-21 in)
• Wingspan: 49 cm (19 in)
• Weight: 221-538 g (7.8-18.99 ounces)

• Large chicken-like bird.
• Long tail.
• Short shaggy crest.

• Crest blue-black.
• Body light brown, heavily streaked with dark brown, glossed bronze.
• Belly unstreaked dirty brown.
• Bare blue skin around and behind eyes; red patch at back.
• Bill long and stout.
• White tips to outer tail feathers.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike in plumage; male larger.

Immature

Juvenile looks similar to adult, but less distinctly marked and lacking metallic bronze gloss.

Sound

Does not go "beep-beep"! Call is a downward slurring "co-coo-coo-coo-cooooo." Also a clattering "whirrrr" call.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Resident from central and southern California eastward to southwestern Missouri and western Louisiana, southward into central Mexico.

Habitat

Found in open arid and semiarid country with scattered brush.

Food

Omnivorous. Insects, spiders, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, lizards, birds, eggs, rodents, carrion, and some fruit.

Behavior

Foraging

Forages primarily on ground, grabbing prey with bill. Beats large prey against a rock or ground.

Reproduction

Nest Type

A shallow platform of thorny sticks. Lined with leaves, grass, feathers, snakeskin, and other materials. Placed in thorny bush, small tree, or cactus

Egg Description

White with yellowish chalky film.

Clutch Size

Usually 2-6 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Eyes closed. Active and able to beg.

Conservation Status

Although the range has expanded, populations where it is common show no long-term trend.

Other Names

Grand Géocoucou (French)
Correcamino californiano (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Hughes, J. M. 1996. Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus). In The Birds of North America, No. 244 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.