Roadrunner

The roadrunners (genus Geococcyx), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America, usually in the desert. Although capable of flight, roadrunners generally run away from predators. On the ground, some have been measured at .

The roadrunners (genus Geococcyx), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America, usually in the desert. Although capable of flight, roadrunners generally run away from predators. On the ground, some have been measured at . === Vocalization=== The roadrunner has a slow and descending dove-like "coo". It also makes a rapid, vocalized clattering sound with its beak. ==In media== The roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico. The roadrunner was made popular by the Warner Bros. cartoon characters Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, created in 1949, and the subject of a long-running series of theatrical cartoon shorts. In each episode, the cunning, insidious, and constantly hungry Wile E. Coyote repeatedly attempts to catch and subsequently eat the Road Runner, but is never successful. The cartoons take comic liberties with the depictions of both animals, substituting a car horn-like "beep-beep" for the roadrunner's call, along with a "plup" noise while sticking out its tongue. In real life, a roadrunner's speed presents no challenge for a coyote, which can sprint at to the roadrunner's . A roadrunner plays a prominent role in T.Kingfisher's 2025 novel, Snake-eater. ==Further reading== ==External links== Distribution map of the Greater Roadrunner Greater Roadrunner sounds Video clips of roadrunners in action [https://www.sos.nm.gov/about-new-mexico/state-bird/]

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