Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
Least Concern
Beep beep! The Greater Roadrunner is a fast-running ground bird famous from the Looney Tunes cartoons. While it can't actually outrun a coyote (real coyotes are faster!), it can run up to 20 mph!
Roadrunners are actually members of the cuckoo family. They eat almost anything they can catch, including rattlesnakes! They live in the American Southwest and often run across roads - hence their name.
Size
About the size of a small chicken
Medium (25-40 cm)
Wingspan: 55 cm
Weight: 350 g
Colors
brown
white
black
Habitat
desertgrassland
Diet
insectssmall mammalsbirds
Fun Facts
- ✨They can run up to 20 mph - faster than most humans!
- ✨Roadrunners eat venomous rattlesnakes!
- ✨They're the state bird of New Mexico.
- ✨Their 'beep beep' call is actually more of a 'coo-coo-coo'.
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Great news! This bird is doing well. There are lots of them in the wild, and they have safe places to live and find food.
Population trend: increasing 📈