Greater Roadrunner

New Mexico State Bird

Roadrunner-001.jpg

Greater roadrunner

Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus); the official state bird of New Mexico. Photo © Bebe Marks Landscape & Wildlife Photography (all rights reserved; used by permission).

Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus);    Photo by [file:field-file-photographer]/[file:field-file-source] ([file:field-file-license]).

Official State Bird of New Mexico

The greater roadrunner  (Geococcyx californianus) was designated the official state bird of New Mexico in 1949. New Mexico also adopted a cartoon roadrunner as the official state litter-control mascot. All State Birds

Also called the chaparral bird, el correcaminos, and el paisano, the iconic roadrunner inhabits desert and shrubby country in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Although a roadrunner is capable of flight, it spends most of the time on the ground, running at speeds of 15 miles per hour (or more) to catch its prey (insects, small reptiles, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and small birds).

The Hopi and Pueblo Indian tribes believed that the roadrunner provided protection against evil spirits.

New Mexico

Images

Greater roadrunner  (Geococcyx californianus) : photo by by Ken Phenicie Jr. on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).

Greater roadrunner  (Geococcyx californianus)

Greater roadrunner. Photo © Bebe Marks Landscape & Wildlife Photography (all rights reserved; used by permission).

Greater roadrunner

Roadrunner in flight; photo by Frank Carey on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).

Roadrunner in flight

Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus); photo by Joyce cory on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).

Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)

Videos

Roadrunners