Male greater roadrunner at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. Photo by: Julie Larsen Maher.
Charging at speeds up to 26 miles an hour (42 kilometers), the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) chases down prey like lizards and snakes. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, and is found across the Southwestern U.S. Although the greater roadrunner is capable of flight, it prefers racing along the ground. The only other member of the genus ‘Geococcyx’ is the lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) found in Mexico and northern Central America.
Male greater roadrunner at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. Photo by: Julie Larsen Maher.