Read About Bird Roadrunner

The Bird, Roadrunner, is the state bird of New Mexico. It is a large, black-and-white, mottled ground bird. Here's everything you need to know about it.

Bird Roadrunner -- Facts

1. Breed:

   Roadrunners are ground cuckoos, and there are about 15 species of birds constituting the subfamily Neomorphinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae, noted for terrestrial habits. There are 11 New World species, 3 of which lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.

2. Size:

   These birds are 20 to 24 inches in length and 10 to 12 inches in height.

3. Life Span:

   Roadrunners can live up to 7 to 8 years.

4. Varieties:

   The more popular variety of roadrunner is the lesser roadrunner, which is a slightly smaller, buffier and less streaky bird, of Mexico and Central America. It grows to a length of 18 inches.

5. Origins:

   The roadrunner has its origin in New Mexico, but is now also found in Southwestern states.

6. Physical Traits:

   The roadrunner is famous for its distinctive appearance. It is a large, black-and-white, mottled ground bird with a distinctive head crest. It has strong feet, a long, white-tipped tail and an oversized bill.

7. Temperament:

   The roadrunner is an impatient but sturdy bird, well suited to desert environments. It is extremely offensive while hunting for its prey.

8. Trainability:

   Roadrunners are not kept as pets, so there is no question of training them. They have a natural inborn tendency to fly.

Bird Roadrunner -- Care

1. Habitat:

   The roadrunner inhabits open, flat or rolling terrain with scattered cover of dry brush, chaparral or other desert scrub.

2. Food:

   The roadrunner feeds almost exclusively on other animals, including insects, scorpions, lizards, snakes, rodents and other birds. Because of its lightning quickness, the roadrunner is one of the few animals that preys upon rattlesnakes.

3. Compatibility:

   Roadrunners are not good as companion pets. They do not get along with any other breeds of birds, and they treat them as though they were prey.

Bird Roadrunner -- Concerns

1. Benefits:

   Roadrunners are important symbols all over Mexico. They keep farms free from rodents. Farmers use them sometimes to bring about a decline in the population of snakes in their farm.

2. Liabilities:

   Roadrunners can injure humans and other pets. If they live in close proximity to homes, then they can deposit reptiles and rodents into the homes.

3. Health Issues:

   Roadrunners are prone to several bacterial infections, which they may get from the prey they kill. There is also the danger of death because they feed on diseased mice.

4. Specific Care Needs:

   Roadrunners are the original wild birds, which require no human care at all. They can find their own food and subsist very well on their own, without requiring any human interference.

5. Special Household Needs:

   Since roadrunners cannot be kept within the home as pets, there are no special household needs that are required.

Bird Roadrunner -- How to Choose

1. What to Look for:

   Roadrunners should be free from infections. Their under-areas should have no spots or markings that may indicate bacterial or viral infections.

2. Supplies:

   Roadrunners require an adequate amount of food, otherwise it can turn to useful animals and birds for prey. They wouldn't require a cage, as they will live in the farm or the ranch.

3. Expense:

   Roadrunners are not sold as pets. They are birds found in the wild, or on farms.