Geococcyx
by. Nolvyhindarto,S.Si_Encartablog_Animals
Geococcyx | |
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The roadrunners are two species of
in the genus Geococcyx of the
family, Cuculidae, native to
and Central America. These two species are the ground
foraging cuckoos.
- Greater Roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus (southwestern
States) - Conkling's Roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus conklingi -
- Lesser Roadrunner, Geococcyx velox (
and Central America)
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Morphology
24 inches (61 cm) from tail to beak. The roadrunner is a large,
slender, black-brown and white streaked ground bird with a distinctive
head crest. It has long legs, strong feet, and an oversized dark bill.
The tail is broad with white tips on the three outer tail feathers.
The bird has a blank patch of skin behind each eye; this patch is shaded
blue proximally to red distally. The lesser roadrunner is slightly smaller,
not as streaky, and has a smaller bill. The bird is terrestrial; although
capable of flight, it spends most of its time on the ground. During
flight, the wings are short and rounded and reveal a white crescent
in the primary feathers. Roadrunners and other members of the cuckoo
family have zygodactyl feet (two toes in front and two toes in back).
Roadrunners can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h)
and generally prefer sprinting to flying. Roadrunners will fly to escape
predators.
Vocalization
Greater roadrunners often become habituated to the
presence of people, but this one was particularly approachable.
The roadrunner has a dove-like "coo" that is slow and descending.
Its distinct mating call is a very domineering tone, descending from
a high pitch. It also makes a rapid clattering sound with its mandibles.
- Ogg vorbis file of clattering sound made with mandibles.
Geographic range
The roadrunner is an inhabitant of the
of the Southwestern United States,
and Central America.
- Habitat: Roadrunners live in arid lowland
or montane scrub and are often widely dispersed in the dry open country
with scattered brush. - Migration: Roadrunners are non-migratory
birds that reside in their breeding area all year. - Link to a distribution map of the Greater Roadrunner from the Cornell lab of Ornithology
Food and foraging habits
Greater Roadrunner with a
and are opportunistic. Their diet normally consists of
(such as grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and beetles), small
(such as lizards and snakes, including rattlesnakes), rodents and small
mammals, tarantulas,
small birds, eggs, nestlings, and fruits and seeds like prickly pear
and sumac. The lesser roadrunner eats mainly insects. Roadrunners forage
on the ground and, when hunting, usually run after prey from under cover.
They may leap to catch insects, and commonly batter certain prey, such
as snakes, against the ground.
Geococcyx is the only real predator
of the tarantula hawk wasps.
Behavior and breeding
monogamous and a pair may mate for life. Pairs may hold a territory
all year. During the courtship display, the male bows, alternately
lifting and dropping his wings and spreading his tail. He parades in
front of the female with his head high and his tail and wings drooped.
It has also been documented that the male may bring an offering of food
to the female.
- Nest: Roadrunners nests are often on
a platform nest composed of sticks (nests may sometimes contain leaves,
snakeskins, or dung). The nest is commonly placed in a low tree, bush,
or cactus. - Clutch: Hatching is asynchronous and
average a 2-6 egg clutch (the Lesser Roadrunners clutch size is typically
smaller). Eggs are generally a white color. - Parental care and sizes: Roadrunners
have bi-parental care. Both sexes incubate the nest and
feed the hatchlings, but males incubate the nest at night. For the first
one to two weeks after the young hatch, one parent always remains at
the nest. After the hatchlings are two to three weeks old they leave
and never return to the nest. For a few days thereafter, the parents
and young forage together. Most range from 1-2.6 feet tall. - Reproductive Season: spring to mid-summer
depending upon species and geographic location.
Thermoregulation
temperature slightly, going into a slight
to conserve energy. To warm itself during the day, the roadrunner exposes
dark patches of skin on its back to the sun.
In popular culture
Runner is a popular character in the
Tunes and
Melodies series of cartoons, distributed by
Bros.
References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of BIRDS
edited by Dr. Christopher M. Perrins - Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia edited
by Michael Hutchins ISBN 0-7876-5785-9 - Handbook of Birds of the World edited
by Josep del Hoyo et al. - Smithsonian: Birds of North America
by Fred J. Alsop III ISBN 0-7894-8001-8 - Harrison, George. 2005. Comical Cuckoo. Birder's World, 19:56-58.
- Meinzer, Wyman. 1993. Beep! Beep! Better pull over, folks-it's the
roadrunner. Smithsonian, 23: 58
External links
naturefootage.com has video clips of roadrunners
in action
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geococcyx
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