The Greater Roadrunner is a desert-dwelling member of the cuckoo family. As its name implies it prefers to run rather than fly and can get up to about 15 mph (24 km/h) in pursuit of prey such as insects, snakes, lizards, small birds and rodents. These solitary and very territorial birds are also monogamous.

This is the state bird of New Mexico and you'll find it running across the great deserts of the southern U.S. Contrary to popular television myth, the roadrunner doesn't go "Beep, Beep!"