What state is the Roadrunner the state bird?

The roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico. New Mexico designated the roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) as the official state bird in 1949. The roadrunner was a logical choice for state bird because it is common and widespread in New Mexico. Known for its speed, the roadrunner can run up to 20 miles per hour and fits perfectly with the state’s nickname “The Land of Enchantment”.

More About the Roadrunner

The roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), also known as the chaparral bird or road-runner, is a fast-running ground cuckoo with a long tail and crest. It is able to run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and generally prefers sprinting to flying, though it will fly to escape predators. There are two subspecies: the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus californianus) and the lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus cachinnans). The greater roadrunner is found throughout New Mexico and most of the American Southwest and into parts of Mexico.

The roadrunner generally grows to 20-24 inches long from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail. Its wingspan can reach 20 inches wide. They weigh around 8-15 oz. These long-legged birds have very distinctive looks with blue and purple feathers, a white patch under the eye, blue rings around the red eyes, and a black crest. They have sturdy bills that give them the nickname “chaparral bird” or “chaparral cock”.

Roadrunners are very fast and able to reach speeds of 10-15 miles per hour on the ground. They really prefer running to flying. Their top land speed is about 20 mph, while flying they only reach speeds of 17 mph. When being chased, roadrunners will run in a zigzag pattern and prefer sprinting to taking flight. If they must, roadrunners can fly to escape predators or reach their roosting sites in trees and shrubs. They have even been seen gliding for short distances by holding their wings outspread to help with balance and control.

Habitat and Diet

Roadrunners occupy dry, open areas with scattered brush and patches of trees or shrubs. This includes deserts, grasslands, agricultural areas, and open woodlands. They are adaptable and also live in parks, golf courses, and suburbs but are not as common in heavily urban areas.

These birds have a varied, omnivorous diet consisting of snakes, lizards, insects, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and other small animals, as well as eggs, fruits, seeds, and even small rabbits, bats, and other birds. They are opportunistic foragers and hunt by walking along the ground listening for prey then sprinting out to catch it.

Interesting Behaviors

Roadrunners exhibit some unique and fascinating behaviors.

• They can kill and eat rattlesnakes by first distracting the snake with its wings to avoid being bitten, then grabbing it behind the head to immobilize it and repeatedly slamming it against the ground until dead. They’ve developed immunity to many snake venoms.
• To deal with the desert heat, roadrunners reorient their body position to reduce sun exposure and lift and drop their wings to promote air circulation and heat loss.
• During cold winters, they can go into torpor, a short-term hibernation, to conserve energy.
• Roadrunner pairs mate for life and breed between March and July. They build nests in trees, bushes, or cacti 2-15 feet above ground and lay 2-6 eggs that hatch in 20 days.
• Roadrunner chicks leave the nest in 18 days. Parents continue to feed them for another month after leaving the nest.
• They are able to drink with their head lowered allowing them to keep watch for predators. Roadrunners get most of their water from prey but also use puddles, streams, cattle tanks, and bird baths.
• Their comical appearance and speed inspired the creation of the Looney Tunes cartoon character the Road Runner. Their speed and shrewdness are admired in the Native American culture of the southwest.

Range and Population

The roadrunner is found throughout the Southwestern United States from California to western Louisiana and South to central Mexico. Their range covers southeastern California, southern Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and western Louisiana. It is estimated there are 1.5 million breeding pairs across their range.

Roadrunners occupy habitat at elevations ranging from sea level to 6,000 feet. They like arid, open areas with scattered trees and shrubs including desert scrub, chaparral, pastures, agricultural fields, and suburban areas. They are not found in dense forests or heavily urbanized city centers.

Some key facts about roadrunner populations:

• California has about 90,000 pairs.
• Nevada has 50,000-100,000 pairs.
• Arizona has 250,000-500,000 pairs.
• New Mexico likely has over 200,000 pairs.
• Texas has 500,000-1,000,000 pairs.
• Oklahoma has about 20,000-60,000 pairs.
• Kansas has about 10,000-50,000 pairs.
• Utah, Colorado, Wyoming have smaller isolated populations.

Populations appear stable and the roadrunner is listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN. No major threats to roadrunners have been identified. Their adaptability helps them to thrive near human settlements as long as there is appropriate scrub habitat.

Roadrunner as the State Bird of New Mexico

Here are some key facts about naming the roadrunner the state bird of New Mexico in 1949:

• It was adopted as the state bird on March 16, 1949.
• The roadrunner represents the state’s unique southwestern desert landscapes.
• It was chosen because it is common and easily recognized in the state.
• New Mexico has a large roadrunner population likely over 200,000 pairs.
• It appears on the state flag of New Mexico grasping a snake in its beak.
• The roadrunner brings awareness to protecting native birds and wildlife in New Mexico.
• Its speed and agility represent the State’s nickname “Land of Enchantment”.
• New Mexico was the first state to officially protect the roadrunner by prohibiting hunting or trapping in 1927.
• The roadrunner is celebrated as an iconic symbol of the Southwest’s deserts.

The roadrunner remains a beloved state symbol among New Mexicans. Its likeness appears widely in state logos, on souvenirs, in cartoons, and at sports games. Generations of New Mexico schoolchildren learn to identify the roadrunner as the state bird.

Comparison to Other Southwest State Birds

Here’s how the roadrunner compares to other state birds in the southwestern United States:

As you can see, among the Southwest states, New Mexico was the first to designate the roadrunner as its official state bird back in 1949. Other states chose birds representative of their ecology and landscapes, like the desert-dwelling cactus wren for Arizona or the mockingbird as a symbol of Texas.

Threats Facing the Roadrunner

Although still common overall, roadrunner populations do face some threats in certain areas. Here are some of the main issues:

• Habitat loss: Development, agriculture, and urbanization can destroy native chaparral and scrubland habitats roadrunners rely on.
• Climate change: Extended droughts and extreme heat associated with climate change may make habitats less hospitable in the Southwest.
• Automobile collisions: Roadrunners scavenging on roads often get struck by vehicles.
• Pesticides: The birds may ingest poisoned insects and rodents after pesticide application.
• Predators: Hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, and other larger predators prey on roadrunners and nestlings.

However, roadrunners are adaptable to human changes to the environment as long as scrubby vegetation is present. Conservation measures like preserving patches of native habitat and planting drought-resistant vegetation around developed areas can help maintain roadrunner populations even near human activity.

Fun Roadrunner Facts

Here are some fun facts about the speedy roadrunner:

• Roadrunners can run as fast as 20 miles per hour.
• They catch and eat rattlesnakes, first disabling them by smashing them against the ground.
• Roadrunner pairs mate for life and live year-round in their breeding territory.
• The male and female take turns incubating the eggs and caring for the young.
• Roadrunner chicks will leave the nest before they can even fly at 18 days old.
• Roadrunners beat their wings like fans to cool themselves on hot days.
• They leave behind “X” shaped track marks running across the ground.
• Roadrunners get most of their water from the food they eat.
• They are in the cuckoo bird family along with koels, coucals, couas, and anis.
• Roadrunners have zygodactyl feet with two toes facing forward and two back.

The speedy, comical roadrunner remains well loved in its native desert southwest. With its iconic “beep, beep” and ability to dash away from coyotes, the roadrunner continues to endear itself to the residents of New Mexico and beyond.

Conclusion

The roadrunner, with its distinctive appearance, speed, and adaptability, is the perfect symbol for the state of New Mexico. By officially designating it as the state bird in 1949, New Mexico selected a species that represents the unique desert landscapes and southwestern spirit of the Land of Enchantment. Roadrunners can thrive in scrubby habitats from the blazing deserts to suburbs as long as there is sufficient vegetation. While facing some threats, roadrunner populations remain healthy throughout the Southwest. This beloved bird will continue to inspire the people of New Mexico and be recognized across the United States as the iconic state bird.