Greater Roadrunner: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Fast and Slow · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Roadrunners run at up to 32 km/h, with rare reports of 42 km/h, using their speed to catch quick prey like lizards and scorpions.
2. At 52-62 cm long, the greater roadrunner is the largest cuckoo in the Americas.
3. At night a roadrunner saves energy by letting its body temperature drop from 40 °C to 34 °C.
4. In the morning it can sunbathe for two or three hours, fluffing its back feathers to bare dark skin that soaks up heat.
5. Roadrunners build their nests low, about 1 to 3 m above the ground, in a cactus or bush.

The quiz

1. How fast can a roadrunner run?

• Up to 8 km/h
• Up to 32 km/h (correct)
• Up to 16 km/h
• Up to 97 km/h

Roadrunners run at up to 32 km/h, with rare reports of 42 km/h.

2. What is the greater roadrunner the largest of in the Americas?

• Owls
• Quails
• Woodpeckers
• Cuckoos (correct)

The greater roadrunner is the largest cuckoo in the Americas.

3. What does a roadrunner do to its body temperature at night?

• Lowers it from 40 °C to 34 °C (correct)
• Raises it by 20 degrees
• Keeps it exactly the same
• Lowers it to freezing

It lets its body temperature fall from 40 °C to 34 °C to save energy.

4. How long can a roadrunner sunbathe in the morning?

• Five minutes
• Half an hour
• Two to three hours (correct)
• All day

In the morning it can sunbathe for two or three hours.

5. Where do roadrunners build their nests?

• On bare ground
• In cacti or bushes, 1 to 3 m up (correct)
• In caves
• In tall pine trees

Nests are built 1 to 3 m above the ground, in a cactus or bush.

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