Greater Roadrunner
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[Photo] A Great Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) in the Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway along the Caprock in West Texas (USA). Date captured: 1 November, 2006. http://www.xvisionx.com/

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 roadrunner is also known as a Chaparral.

Physical features
Adults have a bushy crest and long thick dark bills. They have a long dark tail, a dark head and back, and are pale on the front of the neck and on the belly. Although capable of flight, they spend most of their time on the ground. They can run at speeds of 15 miles per hour or more. They nest on a platform of sticks in cactus or bushes, where they love to hide.

Behavior
These birds walk rapidly about, running down prey or occasionally jumping up to catch insects or birds. They mainly eat insects, small reptiles, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and small birds.

Several years ago, the Philadelphia Zoo had one of these in captivity. It spent much of its waking moments attempting to "race" or run with passers-by.

Habitat
Their breeding habitat is desert and shrubby country in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They can be seen in the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and rarely in Arkansas and Louisiana. The Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.

Cultural references
This bird was the model for the Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons. However, unlike the cartoon, the song of this bird is a dove-like coo, not beep-beep.

The University of Texas at San Antonio mascot is a roadrunner, named Rowdy.

The Angelina College Roadrunners hail from Lufkin, Texas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Roadrunner

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