Family: Cuculidae, Cuckoos, Roadrunners, Anis view all from this family

Description 24" (61 cm). Bigger than a crow. A long-legged, long-tailed, streaked, gray-brown ground bird with a bushy crest. Bright yellow eyes.

Habitat Open arid country with scattered thickets.

Nesting 3-5 ivory-colored eggs in a flat stick nest lined with grass, usually in a thick shrub or cactus not far above ground.

Range Resident from northern California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana southward into Mexico.

Voice   Clucks, crows, dove-like coos, dog-like whines, and hoarse guttural notes.

Discussion The comical-looking Roadrunner -- or "Chaparral Cock," as it is called by cowboys -- would rather run than fly. Twisting and turning in and out of cactus thickets, it can easily outdistance a human. The bird jerks its tail from side to side or up and down; it also elevates its bushy crest when excited. It eats a variety of animal foods, including small snakes, lizards, mice, scorpions, and insects.