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.

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.

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