0 the roadrunner (genus geococcyx), also known as a chaparral bird or chaparral cock , is a fast-running ground cuckoo that has a long tail and a crest .
1  it is found in the southwestern united states and mexico , usually in the desert .
2  some have been clocked at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) .
3 the roadrunner generally ranges in size from 22 to 24 in (56 to 61 cm) from tail to beak .
4  the average weight is about 815 oz (230430 g) .
5  the roadrunner is a large , slender , black-brown and white-streaked ground bird with a distinctive head crest .
6  it has long legs , strong feet , and an oversized dark bill .
7  the tail is broad with white tips on the three outer tail feathers .
8  the bird has a bare patch of skin behind each eye; this patch is shaded blue anterior to red posterior .
9  the lesser roadrunner is slightly smaller , not as streaky , and has a smaller bill .
10  both the lesser roadrunner and the greater roadrunner leave behind very distinct "x" track marks appearing as if they are travelling in both directions .
11 roadrunners and other members of the cuckoo family have zygodactyl feet .
12  the roadrunner can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) and generally prefer sprinting to flying , though it will fly to escape predators .
13  during flight , the short , rounded wings reveal a white crescent in the primary feathers .
14 roadrunners inhabit the deserts of the southwestern united states , mexico , and central america .
15  they live in arid lowland or mountainous shrubland , widely dispersed in dry open country with scattered brush .
16  they are non-migratory , staying in their breeding area year-round .
17  the greater roadrunner is not currently considered threatened in the us , but is habitat-limited .
18 the roadrunner is an opportunistic omnivore .
19  its diet normally consists of insects (such as grasshoppers , crickets , caterpillars , and beetles), small reptiles (such as lizards , collared lizards , and snakes , including rattlesnakes), rodents and small mammals , spiders (including tarantulas), scorpions , centipedes , snails , small birds (and nestlings), eggs , and fruits and seeds like those from prickly pear cactuses and sumacs .
20  the lesser roadrunner eats mainly insects .
21  the roadrunner forages on the ground and , when hunting , usually runs after prey from under cover .
22  it may leap to catch insects , and commonly batters certain prey against the ground .
23  because of its quickness , the roadrunner is one of the few animals that preys upon rattlesnakes; it is also the only real predator of tarantula hawk wasps .
24 the roadrunner usually lives alone or in pairs .
25  breeding pairs are monogamous and mate for life , and pairs may hold a territory all year .
26  during the courtship display , the male bows , alternately lifting and dropping his wings and spreading his tail .
27  he parades in front of the female with his head high and his tail and wings drooped , and may bring an offering of food .
28  the reproductive season is spring to mid-summer (depending on geographic location and species) .
29 the roadrunner's nest is often composed of sticks , and may sometimes contain leaves , feathers , snakeskins , or dung .
30  it is commonly placed 13 meters above ground level in a low tree , bush , or cactus .
31  roadrunner eggs are generally white .
32  the greater roadrunner generally lays 26 eggs per clutch , but the lesser roadrunner's clutches are typically smaller .
33  hatching is asynchronous .
34  both sexes incubate the nest (with males incubating the nest at night) and feed the hatchlings .
35  for the first one to two weeks after the young hatch , one parent remains at the nest .
36  the young leave the nest at two to three weeks old , foraging with parents for a few days after .
