The roadrunner is a unique looking bird found in arid habitats across the southwestern United States and Mexico. With its long legs, streaked brown plumage, distinctive head crest, and tendency to dash across roads in front of passing cars, the roadrunner is one of the most recognizable avian species of the American deserts. However, there are a few other bird species that bear a resemblance to the iconic roadrunner. In this article, we will explore some of the birds that could potentially be confused with a roadrunner at first glance.
Greater Roadrunner
The most obvious lookalike to the common roadrunner is the greater roadrunner. As its name suggests, the greater roadrunner is a larger relative of the typical roadrunner species. It can be up to 2 feet long from beak to tail, compared to the common roadrunner which is around 20 inches in length. Both species exhibit the classic roadrunner physique – long legs, long tail, streaky brown plumage, and a distinctive head crest. The greater roadrunner occurs in Mexico and parts of the southwestern U.S. such as Texas. Its range overlaps with that of the common roadrunner, so care must be taken in areas where both species occur to distinguish between the two. The greater roadrunner is not as widespread or numerous as its smaller cousin.
Pheasants
Certain pheasant species share some superficial similarities with the roadrunner. Ring-necked pheasants and common pheasants can have lengths, leggy proportions, and streaky plumage that are reminiscent of a roadrunner upon first glance. However, pheasants lack the distinctive head crest of roadrunners, and usually have much more vividly colored plumage on the wings, rump, and other feather tracts. The ring-necked pheasant has a white neck ring and irridescent green and purple tones in its plumage, while the common pheasant has a red facial patch and more boldly patterned plumage. Pheasants prefer more open grassland and agricultural areas than the arid scrublands inhabited by roadrunners. Overall, pheasants have stockier, heavier builds compared to the lanky roadrunner.
Northern Flicker
The northern flicker is a type of woodpecker that could potentially be confused with a roadrunner upon first glance. Northern flickers have brown, black, and white streaked plumage that can resemble the color patterns of a roadrunner. They also have long tails and spend a lot of time on the ground foraging for ants and other prey. However, northern flickers lack the long legs and roadrunner’s distinctive head crest. They also have powerful bills adapted for drilling into wood. Northern flickers inhabit forest edges, parks, and other semi-open habitats across much of North America – habitats that largely differ from the arid desert scrublands frequented by roadrunners.
Long-billed Curlew
The long-billed curlew is a large shorebird that shares the roadrunner’s lanky proportions and streaky plumage. However, the curlew has a massively long, curving bill that accounts for over half its total head and body length. It uses this specialized bill to probe deeply into mud in search of crabs, worms, and other invertebrate prey. Curlews also have cinnamon-colored plumage on their undersides and black-and-white barring on their wings and back during the breeding season. While long-billed curlews occupy drier grasslands and agricultural areas, they are still tied to wetland habitats due to their feeding methods. Overall, the curlew’s radically different bill helps distinguish it from any roadrunner species.
Ruddy Turnstone
The ruddy turnstone is another shorebird species that shares some superficial similarities with roadrunners. During the non-breeding season, turnstones exhibit subdued black, brown, and white streaked plumage patterns that could potentially cause confusion with a roadrunner at long distances. They also forage terrestrially, running and pausing frequently to probe for prey. However, turnstones have much stockier, compact builds than the slender roadrunner. They also lack any sort of head crest and have shorter tails and legs. Their short, conical bills are specialized for prying invertebrates and other food items from rocks and coral. Turnstones primarily inhabit coastal shorelines and rocky beaches – very different environments from a roadrunner.
Burrowing Owl
The burrowing owl is a small owl of open grasslands that could potentially be mistaken for a roadrunner at very long distances. Burrowing owls have long legs and spend much of their time on the ground or perched on low mounds. Their streaked and spotted plumage is somewhat similar to a roadrunner’s patterns. However, burrowing owls have a very distinctive round head with no crest, yellow eyes, and lack a long tail. They also have a more compact, rotund body shape compared to the roadrunner’s lean build. Burrowing owls occupy open grasslands, pastures, and deserts across much of North and South America – similar dry environments to roadrunners. Their nesting behaviors differ though, with burrowing owls utilizing old burrows dug by prairie dogs or other mammals.
Groove-billed Ani
The groove-billed ani is a large, black tropical cuckoo that shares some behavioral similarities with roadrunners. It forages terrestrially, has a long tail, and can run quickly across open ground. However, groove-billed anis have all black plumage, large curved bills, and lack any sort of head crest. They also have shorter legs than a roadrunner. Groove-billed anis form small social flocks and inhabit scrubby areas in southern Texas and throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America. Their geographic range has some overlap with roadrunners, but groove-billed anis are tied more closely to tropical habitats than the arid temperate deserts of roadrunners.
Differences in Size, Proportion, Plumage, and Behavior
While the birds covered above may bear a passing resemblance to roadrunners in some respects, there are key differences in size, proportion, plumage details, and behavior that allow them to be distinguished upon closer inspection:
Size
– Roadrunners are medium-sized birds, approximately 20 inches from beak to tail tip. The only lookalike that approaches a roadrunner’s size is the greater roadrunner species. Other roadrunner mimics are either substantially smaller (burrowing owl) or larger (long-billed curlew).
Proportion
– Roadrunners have very long legs, long tails, and slender builds adapted for terrestrial running and pursuit of prey. The only species with close to comparable proportions is the greater roadrunner. Other lookalikes have stockier, compact builds (ring-necked pheasant), much shorter tails and legs (ruddy turnstone), or non-elongated body plans (groove-billed ani).
Plumage
– The roadrunner’s streaky brown, black, and white plumage pattern on the head, back, wings and underparts is distinctive. The only species with truly similar plumage is the greater roadrunner. Other mimics may show somewhat similar streaking but have very different plumage details on the head, neck, wings or rump.
Behavior
– Roadrunners habitually dash across roads and trails and forage by walking along the ground probing for prey. Some other species exhibit terrestrial habits (burrowing owl, groove-billed ani) but none share the exact roadrunner behavioral profile.
Geographic Range
The roadrunner’s geographic distribution can also help distinguish sightings from potential lookalike species:
| Species | Geographic Range |
|---|---|
| Roadrunner | Southwestern U.S. and Mexico |
| Greater Roadrunner | Southwestern U.S. and Mexico |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Widespread in U.S. and Canada, introduced from Asia |
| Common Pheasant | Widespread in U.S. and Canada, introduced from Asia |
| Northern Flicker | Widespread across North America |
| Long-billed Curlew | Western U.S. and Canada |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Coastal regions across North America |
| Burrowing Owl | Western North America and South America |
| Groove-billed Ani | Southern Texas and tropics |
Roadrunners occur only in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Any sightings far outside of this core range make confusion with other species more likely. Overlap in geographic ranges with certain mimics (greater roadrunner, burrowing owl, groove-billed ani) necessitates using other differences to distinguish these species from roadrunners where they co-occur.
Conclusion
While several bird species share characteristics and behaviors that may cause them to be mistaken for a roadrunner upon first glance, key differences in size, proportion, plumage, behavior, and geographic range exist to distinguish them on closer inspection. No lookalike presents an exact match to the roadrunner’s unique suite of traits. Taking the time to note key features and consult range maps can help correctly identify sightings and avoid cases of mistaken identity. The roadrunner remains a one-of-a-kind icon of the American southwest.
