Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
The greater roadrunner is a bird in the Cuckoo (Cuculidae) family. It joins the lesser roadrunner in the genus Geococcyx. Scientifically the name means "Californian earth-cuckoo”. It is also referred to as the chaparral cock, ground cuckoo, and snake killer. Found within the Aridoamerica ecoregion, the roadrunner lives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The bird can be found from 60 ft below sea level to 7,500 ft above, occupying arid and semi-arid scrubland with typically less than 50% vegetation cover.
The greater roadrunner has adapted to the dry and warm habitat through thermoregulation to reduce dehydration and overheating. When sunbathing for heat, the bird lays perpendicular to the ground, back to the sun. It spreads its wings and ruffles the blacking feathers on its back and head, allowing the sun to be absorbed by both the bird’s skins and feathers.
