The Greater Roadrunner is big and fearless, and does, in fact, run on roads. He prefers open, dry habitat, and New Mexico, the driest state of all, is one of his favorite territories.
New Mexico, the 47th State
Although its largest city, Albuquerque, was founded in the 1700s, New Mexico didn't become a state until January 6, 1912. It is the fifth largest state, with a land area of more than 121,000 square miles, and one of the highest in overall elevation. The lowest point in the state is Red Bluff Lake, nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, and Wheeler Peak is the state's highest, at 13,161 feet. An amazing 85% of the state sits at an elevation of 4,000 feet or more. Nicknamed the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico is also the driest state, with a miniscule water-to-land ratio of just .002%.
There are more cattle and sheep here than people, and the uncrowded state boasts just 12 citizens per square mile. Native Americans make up an important part of New Mexico's history and current population, and the largest group, the Navajo, own a 14 million-acre reservation. It's a bilingual state, as well, with Spanish spoken in one-third of the homes.
This is where the world's first atomic bomb was designed, manufactured and detonated, in a desert called White Sands that consists of white gypsum crystals, not sand. It's also home to Carlsbad Caverns, where the largest chamber is 22 stories high and as long as 10 football fields.
Although the official state mammal is the Black Bear, not the (wily) Coyote, New Mexico adopted the Greater Roadrunner as the state bird on March 16, 1949. Called the Chaparral Bird at the time, the Greater Roadrunner is also known as El Correcaminos in Spanish.
The Greater Roadrunner, New Mexico's State Bird
The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is a large bird, 23 inches in length, with a wingspread of 22 inches. The Roadrunner is in the Cuckoo family (Cuculidae), perhaps fittingly, since he is a well-known cartoon character, and quite adept at appearing comical. Greater Roadrunners raise their crest, looking quizzical, and raise their long tail, only to let it slowly descend. They can be sleek and smooth, especially when running, or fat and fluffy while perched in the sun. Their call is a unique and unmistakable hollow clatter that will scatter the neighborhood prey of lizards, snakes and baby quail. Roadrunners are non-migratory residents, primarily of the desert southwest states.
Monogamous Roadrunners build stick nests low in trees or cactus, and incubate 4-6 eggs about 3 weeks. Eggs are hatched asynchronously, and sometimes unhatched eggs are not incubated following the successful hatching of others. The altricial young fledge in 18 days, and begin hunting their own prey immediately. Their diet is varied, although 90% of it consists of animals: lizards, snakes (including rattlesnakes), insects, rodents and birds. When baby quail hatch in late spring, Roadrunners are attracted to them like seafood addicts to popcorn shrimp. Fortunately, Gambel's Quail have very large broods. Almost as fast as their cartoon caricature, Roadrunners can run up to 15 miles per hour, and often prefer running to flying.
Except in southern California, where their habitat has become fragmented, populations of Greater Roadrunners appear to be stable. In New Mexico, Roadrunners are permanent residents throughout most of the state, except the higher elevations of the northwest.
New Mexico's Choice for State Bird
Like Arizona, the state's neighbor to the west, New Mexico selected an official bird unclaimed by any other state. Although this might seem to be the natural path to take, most states (30) adopted birds also selected by others. The Northern Cardinal, for example, is the most popular choice, having been named by seven states. However, in New Mexico, a state known for Billy the Kid and western independence, the Roadrunner was a more perfect choice.
For information about other official state birds and desert birds, see the following articles:
- The Most Popular State Bird, The Northern Cardinal
- The Second Most Popular State Bird, the Western Meadowlark
- The Northern Mockingbird, Third Most Popular State Bird
- The American Robin, State Bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin
- The Black-capped Chickadee, State Bird of Maine and Massachusetts
- The Cactus Wren, State Bird of Arizona
- Oklahoma's State Bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- The Purple Finch, State Bird of the Granite State, New Hampshire
- Silky-Flycatchers, Sleek and Beautiful Western Hemisphere Birds
Bob Bowers - A lifelong naturalist and amateur ornithologist, Bob's avocation is studying, photographing and writing about birds.
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