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A fast-running desert cuckoo that eats lizards, rodents and even rattlesnakes.
The greater roadrunner is a bird of the American Southwest's deserts and a member of the cuckoo family. Zion National Park says it can run about 15 miles per hour, faster in short bursts while hunting. Its long tail, strong legs and low running posture make it look like no other bird.
It is a predator, taking insects, lizards, rattlesnakes, rodents and small birds. Roadrunners usually nest above ground on platforms of sticks and other plant material, and both parents feed the young. Zion's page is brief, so this profile limits itself to those points and does not map the bird across Utah.
Southern Utah's desert offers suitable habitat, but a roadrunner can be hard to find. Watch quietly from established paths. Do not chase one into cover, do not bait it and do not stop suddenly on a roadway to look for it.
Long tail, strong legs and a low running posture; usually on foot rather than in flight.
Keep to paths and pullouts; do not bait, chase or follow it into brush.
Sure-footed sheep of the slickrock, restored to Zion after disappearing there.
Insect-eating flying mammals whose lives depend on suitable roosts, water and a safe seasonal cycle.
A diverse group of native predators best appreciated without handling or close-range identification attempts.