Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) of the Southwest
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Texas Icons. Roadrunner and Bluebonnets I have been hoping to get this opportunity all this spring. This roadrunner gave me the perfect pose in the perfect spot with the morning sun hitting it. . Thanks for looking and have a great weekend
I missed Cinco de Mayo by a week but my two posts tonight have a SW flavor in a belated recognition. Further, Roadrunners are one of my favorite species to photograph.
Southern California
A Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) in the desert landscape near Buckeye, Arizona, U.S.A.
21 February, 2014.
Slide # GWB_20140221_2848.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
A Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) searching for some prey on the desert landscape near Buckeye, Arizona, U.S.A.
Its cryptic colouration allows it to blend so well into the desert landscape habitat in which it lives.
21 February, 2014.
Slide # GWB_20140221_2713.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
Roadrunners always seem so proud when they catch a bite to eat.
Los correcaminos siempre parecen muy orgullosos al capturar algo de comer.
Roadrunners are aptly named. While they can fly, it seems they do a lot more ground travel. And they can outpace a human in a footrace. But, unlike the cartoons, they cannot outpace a coyote. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a coyote may top out at a speed of 43 mph (~69 kph) while the roadrunner is only about 1/2 that speed. Still impressive though! They're very well adapted to the Desert Southwest, getting a lot of their moisture from the foods they eat like small juicy mammals or reptiles. Greater roadrunners are roughly the size of a crow (ish). Roadrunners are in the Cuckoo family of birds. (just learned that today 😁)
A greater roadrunner in the rather beige desert in which it lives. I kind of like these tough birds. This one had a hoard of photographers gathered around it. They're not uncommon, but not an everyday sight either.
"Road Runner, Road Runner runs down the road all day,
Even the coyote can't make him change his ways.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you,
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through."
excerpt from the Road Runner Show theme song
I always like to read a little about the birds I capture in pixels. The Greater Roadrunner can outrun the average human. But coyotes can reach speeds of up to 43 mph (~70 kph), about twice the speed of a roadrunner. This was shot at Veterans' Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ. Plenty of coyotes there so hopefully this guy has his best running shoes on and thinks of using that gift of flight that he has.
Roadrunner
Sweetwater wetlands
We made the rounds today. Started at Silverbell Lake and ended up at Sweetwater. Good day of birding.
Tucson, Arizona
As 2022 winds down, I'm posting a series of shots from each of our six trips taken during the year, in chronological order.
Our second trip included a few days in southern Arizona where we found this Greater Roadrunner along a trail in Saguaro National Park.
I would have preferred a pose with this guy facing just a little more to the right. But my time with him was very brief as it ran across the trail, paused for about 2 seconds and then scurried toward the nearest cover. So this will have to suffice.
While I was working in my garden putting the seeds in the ground, this curious little guy, my “wild” pet, was sitting on the fence watching me. It knows I usually have a few tasty pieces of meat with me. :))
I grew up watching the roadrunner cartoon..beep beep..our spring weather came to a screeching halt yesterday with snow and ice 😕..I will assess damages to the spring flowers in a few days...Thank you very much for viewing my photo ! I truly appreciate any faves and comments ! 🐦
We saw this roadrunner at Watson Lake. He was not shy at all. He ran right up to me and got startlingly close. Cool birds
By popular demand (two requests) I'm posting a Greater Roadrunner as part of my desert denizen series.
From the Cornell Lab:
"A bird born to run, the Greater Roadrunner can outrace a human, kill a rattlesnake, and thrive in the harsh landscapes of the Desert Southwest. Roadrunners reach two feet from sturdy bill to white tail tip, with a bushy blue-black crest and mottled plumage that blends well with dusty shrubs. As they run, they hold their lean frames nearly parallel to the ground and rudder with their long tails. Roadrunners have evolved a range of adaptations to deal with the extremes of desert living. Like seabirds, they secrete a solution of highly concentrated salt through a gland just in front of each eye, which uses less water than excreting it via their kidneys and urinary tract. Moisture-rich prey including mammals and reptiles supply them otherwise-scarce water in their diet."
This one was photographed scurrying around in Big Bend National Park.
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 and Mexico,[1][2] usually in the desert. Although capable of flight, roadrunners generally run away from predators. On the ground, some have been clocked at 32 km/h (20 mph) while a few have also been clocked up to 43 km/h (27 mph).[ci
Have a wonderful new week.
Here’s another one from the Lower Rio Grande Valley from earlier this month. This Greater Roadrunner was chasing what we assumed was its mate stopping from time to time to wag its tail. It was certainly a fun moment of the trip.
Geococcyx californianus
_MG_4462-web
Photographers know the challenge of getting a good bird in flight shot. When the bird is a Greater Roadrunner, the challenge can be when they're on the ground. Dang they're fast. A close look at this shot reveals the blur on the bird's foot even though the shutter speed was 1/1000.
This one was showing off its speed near Rio Grande Village in Big Bend National Park.