Running Wild

While strolling through a cactus garden on our recent trip out West, I spotted this guy zipping through the foliage. I use to see these Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) on dirt roads all around Bismarck when I was a kid. I haven't seen one in a long time. Since these birds seldom fly, but rather spend much of their life on the ground, I can imagine they have been suffering the same fate as our native bobwhite quail-- coyote chow! What a shame; I really enjoyed watching these birds tearing down the road kicking up a stream of dust in their wake. We really need to do something about this coyote issue before we loose all of our ground dwelling birds. Thankfully, these guys do nest in trees. Other intesting facts include their top speed which can be 30 m.p.h. and the fact that roadrunners are very opportunistic feeders eatting lizards, snakes, large insects, spiders, scorpions, rodents, and even other birds! I really miss you guys around Arkasas, Beep. . .Beep!