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Project Noah Nature School
Geococcyx californianus
Large member of the cuckoo family. Typically they are predators and are often seen eating lizards and snakes. Interesting coloration behind the eyes. They can raise the crest on the back of their head. They typically run on the ground, but I have seen them fly into a tree. Males will make a clucking sound, and when they coo they tend to hunch over.
They typically live in the desert southwest where there is a lot of cover. I have seen them eating lizards of various sizes.
This shot was of a wild roadrunner at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, AZ. This is one of the best places to see them and be able to get close to them. I did use the sounds provided by iBird to draw it in.
Spotted on Apr 25, 2012
Submitted on May 18, 2012
7 Comments
Very cool set!
Excellent portrait!
Kool! I've only seen the cartoon (lol,) and that looks so much better and much more amazing! Good spotting!
mec-mec! :-)
Lovely!
Cool! I've never seen one of these birds before. It doesn't look anything like the cartoon ; )
Beautiful! These guys have eluded me for years. Great spotting.