Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
Also known as: Road-Runner
About This Species
Look for it on the ground in arid scrub and desert of the southwestern United States and Mexico, where it runs down lizards, insects and even small snakes rather than pursuing flight. Early morning is a good time to see it perched in the open sunning itself, feathers fluffed to expose dark skin that absorbs heat before the day's foraging begins. It favours open ground, trails and washes with scattered cover, moving in short sprints between perches.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A distance of 10–15 metres is generally enough to watch this bird without causing it to bolt for cover.
- In the United States it is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and in Mexico under national wildlife law, though enforcement and specific provisions differ between the two countries.
- Avoid pursuing a running bird, since repeated chasing wastes energy it needs for hunting and thermoregulation in a hot environment.
LCAvesCuculiformesCuculidae
Seasonal Activity
542,260 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
Photo
(c) Alan Vernon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.