Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
The Greater Roadrunner is an iconic member of southwestern desert communities. They are non migratory in a range that extends from California to southern Missouri and south into central Mexico.
Like most woodpeckers, parrots, toucans and other members of the cuckoo clan, these birds have a zygodactyl foot, with two toes facing forward and two backwards. Traditional Native American culture regards these birds with special importance. The tracks left by the feet of these birds make it difficult to tell which way the bird travelled. These tracks have been used as symbols in sacred drawings.
When I watch them on the hunt, I imagine a miniature T-Rex on the prowl. I’ve met roadrunners in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Once, while visiting Tucson’s Sabino Canyon, I observed a roadrunner digging tenaciously for nearly an hour at the base of a dead cactus stump. I maneuvered into a favorable position and, at last, I photographed the bird as it extracted and dispatched a huge Desert Spiny Lizard. The scene was gruesome, yet unforgettable.
While these birds can fly, they spend most of their time on the ground. Running at speeds of 20 to 27 mph, these are fast birds. Despite what the Warner Brothers cartoons would have us believe, this is only half the speed of a real coyote (43 mph).
Taxonomists regard the Greater Roadrunner as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).
27 Photos
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:49 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: Cut_D3X1388-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Greater Roadrunner making a regular meal on feeder drawn hummingbirds at Bosque del Apache NWR. Near Socorro, New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2003:08:24 17:17 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/180 |
File Name: JCD_0570RoadRunnerHummer |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Bosque del Apache NWR. Near Socorro, New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2003:08:24 17:13 |
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Location:
Bosque Del Apache |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD_0565RoadRunner |
| © 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:03 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X1270-GreaterRoadRunner-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Tucson, Arizona |
Date Taken: 2000:10:23 8:46 |
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Location:
Tanque Verde |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A0k23a05-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2000 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Borrego Springs. Anza Borrego, Northeast San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:05:05 18:07 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD7080.GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:23 10:18 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X2214-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:47 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X1360-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:46 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X1350-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:38 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X1331-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:27 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X1324-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:22 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X1311-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: This roadrunner was interested in the Mexican Ground Squirrel that was inside the nearby pipe, but the squirrel wasn't coming out to play with this bird so near. I drove to Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast on Friday and spent the afternoon meeting new birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:20 12:31 |
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Location:
Laguna Atscosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506241-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
|
Description: This roadrunner was interested in the Mexican Ground Squirrel that was inside the nearby pipe, but the squirrel wasn't coming out to play with this bird so near. I drove to Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast on Friday and spent the afternoon meeting new birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:20 12:31 |
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Location:
Laguna Atscosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506253-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: This roadrunner decided the Mexican Ground Squirrel that was inside the nearby pipe wasn't coming out to play, so it left the squirrel alone. I drove to Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast on Friday and spent the afternoon meeting new birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:20 12:31 |
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Location:
Laguna Atscosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506254-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Greater Roadrunners are not uncommon in Texas, but this bird's love of the water provided my most memorable meetings during my visit to the state in 2020. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 12:02 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506715-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Greater Roadrunners are not uncommon in Texas, but this bird's love of the water provided me with some memorable meetings during my visit to the state in 2020. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 12:03 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506740-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: Greater Roadrunners are not uncommon in Texas, but this bird's love of the water provided my most memorable meetings during my visit to the state in 2020. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 12:03 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506756-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
|
Description: Greater Roadrunners are not uncommon in Texas, but this bird's love of the water provided my most memorable meetings during my visit to the state in 2020. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of the birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 12:29 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506914-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
|
Description: Greater Roadrunners are not uncommon in Texas, but this bird's love of the water provided me with some memorable meetings during my visit to the state in 2020. My third visit to Atascosa NWR in South Texas was intended to pickup images of a couple of birds I came up short with on my second visit. But then I started meeting new birds and I stayed all day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:24 12:29 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: GreaterRoadRunner_D506932-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: In the act of digging out a large Desert Spiney Lizard. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in northern Tucson Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:25 13:53 |
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Location:
Sabino Canyon |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: GreaterRoadrunner_D5X7498 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: In the act of killing a large Desert Spiney Lizard. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in northern Tucson Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:25 13:54 |
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Location:
Sabino Canyon |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: GreaterRoadrunner_D5X7505 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:48 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X1371-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:48 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X1361-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: High Valley Area. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2013:03:09 10:21 |
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Location:
High Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X1308-GreaterRoadRunner |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: I don't often see roadrunners in trees, but there were two of them thirty feet up in the same tree as a Great Horned Owl. Cottonwood Camp is a primitive site eight miles from the end of the road at Santa Elena Canyon. I was lucky to book a night's stay and enjoy one of the birdiest sites in Big Bend National Park. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:03 11:20 |
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Location:
Cottonwood Camp |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: GreaterRoadrunner_D5X7891-CottonwoodCamp |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Greater Roadrunner(Geococcyx californianus) |
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Description: It was a relatively slow day for birds at Bosque del Apache, but even a slow day there beats most places I’ve birded. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:30 13:28 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: GreaterRoadrunner_D5X3388-BosqueDelApache |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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