This colophon was written by Nicole Arigo. The roadrunner is a ground-dwelling type of cuckoo bird found in the southwestern United States, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and south into Mexico. The roadrunner is possibly most famous for its long legs that carry it quickly through the open, desert environment at speeds up to 15 miles an hour. Though it has wings, the roadrunner typically flies only when in danger. Other characteristics include a long tail and bill, a crest of feathers at the top of its head, and a striped or spotted pattern, typically of brown and white, on its back and tail.
Roadrunners nest in bushes, low trees, or cactus.
Their diet consists of bird eggs, insects, lizards, snakes, and small rodents. Roadrunners have three calls, the most popular of which sounds much like a dove s cooing.