Greater Roadrunner
From Devonshire
The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is a large, long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is one of the two roadrunner species in the genus Geococcyx, the other Lesser Roadrunner. This roadrunner is also known as the Chaparral Cock.
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Description
The adult is about 56 cm long with a bushy crest and long thick dark bill. It has a long dark tail, a dark head and back, and is pale on the front of the neck and on the belly. Roadrunners have four toes on each foot; two face forward, and two face backward.
Habitat
The breeding habitat is desert and shrubby country in the Odysseus Desert and grasslands.
Behavior
The Greater Roadrunner nests on a platform of sticks low in cactus or a bush and lays 3-6 eggs which hatch in 20 days. The chicks fledge in another 18 days. Pairs may occasionally rear a second brood.
This bird walks rapidly about, running down prey or occasionally jumping up to catch insects or birds. It mainly feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and small birds.
Although capable of flight, it spends most of its time on the ground, and can run at speeds of 24 km/h (15 miles per hour) or more.
Popular culture
- The Greater Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico, USA.
- The Greater Roadrunner is the mascot of California State University, Bakersfield, College of the Desert (Palm Desert, CA), Metropolitan State College of Denver, State Fair Community College (Sedalia, Missouri), Midland College (Midland, Texas), the College of DuPage (DuPage County, Illinois) and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
- The Hopi and Pueblo Indian tribes believed that the roadrunner provided protection against evil spirits.Template:Fact
- The Greater Roadrunner serves loosely as the basis for the character Road Runner in the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon shorts by Chuck Jones.
References
See Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Roadrunner#References
