sheepdog 10 Report post Posted September 2, 2012 I'm not really great at wildlife pictures, but I did manage to finally get a pretty decent shot of our little buddy the road runner. Yes, they are real, and not just a cartoon charector! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AKUKUMATATA 0 Report post Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) This looks like the Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus. Yes they do exist and they eat seeds, fruit, small reptiles and frogs. These birds are also known as the chaparral *BLEEP*, ground cuckoo, and snake killer. Edited September 12, 2012 by AKUKUMATATA (see edit history) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
demonboy1990 0 Report post Posted September 13, 2012 don't think we have those birds in my country we usally have seagulls {but the sea or when you through out bread} and black birds or robins in the winter looks a great bird though wonder if when have any of those birds in the zoo there is a lot of great birds near the water in the zoo so when i am down there next time i will look what sort of birds there are, last time i was there i saw pink birds, swans, and funny birds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheepdog 10 Report post Posted October 11, 2012 I've watched mine closely, and have never seen them show any interest in fruit and seeds. But yes, lizzards are definatly on their menue, and bugs, and the main reason I decided I like them so well is that their favorite food seems to be mice! Since they are a lot cuter than the black snakes we have around here eating mice, I prefer the road runners to the snakes of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NateP 1 Report post Posted October 12, 2012 Wow Sheepdog, that is a great picture. I was not aware that there really was such a thing as a real road runner. I guess I thought as you mentioned, that it was just a fictional cartoon character. Looking at the picture though and seeing those tiny little wings, are these flightless birds? Do they actually fly any real distances or just kinda hop and flap a bit sort of like a chicken? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adriantc 0 Report post Posted October 15, 2012 Make that two... I too was unaware road runners where real. Guess you learn something new every day. Is he really capable of eating mice. He doesn't seem very large and a I wonder how he can eat a decent sized mice. Every time I see a bird I can't help but to be amazed of the fact that some millions of years ago this thing was related to the T-Rex. How beautiful, elegant and mesmerizing evolution is. I wonder how some pleople still deny it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheepdog 10 Report post Posted October 15, 2012 You guys aren't alone in the world, it took a long time to convince a buddy of my hubby that they are real. He finally saw one out here one day. He thought they were cartoon charectors too. One of the things that surprised me when I began my roadrunner observations is that they actually nest up in trees. Had I been guessing I would of bet for sure they were ground dwelling birds. They are strong flyers when they want to be, though I've never seen one fly more than a 100 yards or so. They do prefer to run. They are a fair sized bird, maybe not quite as big as a crow, but one thing for sure, I remember the first time I had the original road runner come up and take a mouse out of my hand, I thought at least his beak was pretty big! I was questioning my own sanity in offering the mouse, that beak looked big enought to take my finger along with the mouse! But he was a smart enough bird that he knew not to bite the hand that was feeding him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
