Scientific Name: Geococcyx californianus

Residency: Year-round throughout most of Arizona, except for the very northeast corner of the state.

Diet: Omnivore: eats insects (e.g. spiders, scorpions, centipedes), reptiles (e.g. snakes and lizards), small mammals (e.g. rodents), birds (including the eggs and young of other birds), carrion, and some fruit. The roadrunner is an opportunistic feeder, catching small birds at bird feeders and nest-boxes. The roadrunner is able to survive without drinking water, as long the food is high enough in water content.

Predators: Adults usually fast enough to evade terrestrial predators. However, they are infrequently predated upon by raptors (Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper?s Hawk), and occassionally by crows and ravens. Eggs and nestlings are taken by mammals (coyotes, raccoons, striped skunks), and reptiles (coachwhips and bullsnakes).

Nesting: Male and female construct a shallow platform-type nest, in which one or two broods are raised per year. The clutch size ranges from two to six eggs (white or yellowish-white in color, without marks). Interestingly, the male does most of the incubating and feeding of the offspring. The nest is built in a low position within a thorny shrub, small tree or cactus. The pair stays year-round in the same territory.

Nesting Records: Scottsdale Community College.

Notes: A voracious predator able to run at speeds of up to 18.6 miles per hour, the Greater Roadrunner will even take on the challenger of hunting rattlesnakes! It kills a large prey by beating it against the ground or a rock. Two birds may cooperate in order to kill a large snake. The fledglings are able to catch prey only four weeks after leaving the nest! The Greater Roadrunner thrives in the desert climate as well as anywhere else. It is known to raise its back feathers in the early morning sun, to expose a dark patch of skin, which absorbs solar rays and raises the bird?s body temperature. The Greater Roadrunner is a member of the cuckoo family, but is easily distinguished from other birds by its unique body shape, and very long tail. It also has a prominent crest, which it is able to raise and lower.

Photo: Taken at Scottsdale Community College on April 24, 2002. For more photos, click on camera icon.

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