Greater Roadrunner

The greater roadrunner is a large, ground-dwelling bird of the cuckoo family, native to arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico, well known for its speed, capable of running at over thirty kilometres an hour, faster than any other flying bird species while pursuing prey on the ground. It has a long tail, a shaggy crest, streaked brown-and-white plumage and a long, heavy bill, and it is an opportunistic predator that eats insects, lizards, snakes, small rodents and birds, including venomous rattlesnakes that it can kill with rapid strikes. Roadrunners can fly but rarely do so for more than short distances, preferring to run or walk, and they are well adapted to heat and water scarcity, able to survive largely on the moisture obtained from their prey. The species has become widely known through popular culture, though its real-life speed and behavior differ considerably from its cartoon depiction.