New Mexico State Bird
Greater Roadrunner (common name)  Geococcyx californianus (scientific name) Overview The greater roadrunner is a large, ground-dwelling cuckoo with brown, white, and beige streaks and a very long tail. Its head has a distinctive shaggy crest, and it has blue and orange patches of bare skin behind the eyes. A common sight dashing across the American southwestern desert and plains, it was adopted as the state bird of New Mexico in 1949. The greater roadrunner eats spiders, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, lizards, small birds, eggs, rodents, carrion, fruit, and seeds. It can run up to 15 mph (24 kph), crouching lower as it gains speed. Its calls include guttural clucks, crows, coos, and whines. The nest is a shallow platform of sticks lined with leaves, grass, feathers, and snakeskin usually sheltered in a thorny bush, small tree, or cactus. Close-up STATUS Official ALSO KNOWN AS chaparral cock, correcaminos PHYSICAL DETAILS  Male Female  Size Length to end of tail: 20.5–24 in (52–61 cm) Wing from flexure: 19.3 in (49 cm) Length of tail: 8 to 12 in (20-30 cm) Length to end of tail: 20.5–24 in (52–61 cm) Wing from flexure: 19.3 in (49 cm) Length of tail: 8 to 12 in (20-30 cm)  Weight 7.8–19 oz (221–538 g) 7.8–19 oz (221–538 g) BEHAVIOR The greater roadrunner forages on the ground, snatching prey with its long pointed bill. To incapacitate larger prey, the roadrunner will beat it against a rock or the ground. To warm up, roadrunners erect their feathers to expose their black skin to the sun’s rays. HABITAT Open arid and semi-arid country with scattered brush and thickets. Range: Resident in southwest U.S. and throughout Mexico. It is occasionally found in northern California, southern Missouri, and western Louisiana. Migration: Non-migratory Conservation Status: Least concern (LC). However, local populations adjacent to western urban areas are decreasing as these cities expand. NESTING Nesting Period: 17-19 days Size of Clutch: 3-6 eggs Incubation Period: 20 days Egg Description: White Egg Size: 0.8 x 0.5 in (21 x 14 mm) SIMILAR SPECIES cuckoos TRIVIA Roadrunners can fly, but they usually don’t.  They are a pervasive symbol of the arid environments of the American West.  The film studio Warner Brothers created a cartoon character of a roadrunner in 1948 that was a popular animated series. However, the animated bird looks nothing like the real greater roadrunner and more like an emu.
	Click to enlarge an image Greater Roadrunner Close-up Greater Roadrunner with Meal Greater Roadrunner Greater Roadrunner Distribution Map (pdf) CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae Subfamily: Neomorphinae Genus: Geococcyx Species: G. californianus
	Author: World Trade Press