Roadrunner In Flight

GREATER ROADRUNNER
Geococcyx californianus

Roadrunners hold a special place in Native American and Mexican legends and belief systems. The birds were revered for their courage, strength, speed, and endurance. The roadrunner’s distinctive X-shaped footprint—with two toes pointing forward and two backward—are used as sacred symbols by Pueblo tribes to ward off evil. The X shape disguises the direction the bird is heading, and is thought to prevent evil spirits from following.
Greater Roadrunners eat mostly animals, including almost anything they can catch: small mammals, reptiles, frogs, toads, insects, centipedes, scorpions, and birds. Roadrunners also eat carrion and prey on bird eggs and chicks. They kill rattlesnakes by pecking them repeatedly in the head. Greater Roadrunners eat poisonous prey, including venomous lizards and scorpions, with no ill effect, although they’re careful to swallow horned lizards head-first with the horns pointed away from vital organs. They slam large prey, such as rodents and lizards, against a rock or the ground multiple times to break down the bones and elongate the victim, making it easier to swallow. These opportunistic predators have also been known to grab birds from backyard feeders or nest boxes. In winter, fruit, seeds, and other plant material make up 10 percent of the roadrunner’s diet.

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