roadrunner

/ˌroʊdˈrʌnər/

/ˈrʌʊdrənə/

Other forms: roadrunners

With its long tail, distinctive crest, and fierce eyes, the fast-running bird called a roadrunner resembles a mini meat-eating dinosaur as it races along the ground to catch its prey.

Found in the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico, the roadrunner is often featured in Native American folklore. It was even a character in a long-running cartoon, where it was shown ever-outsmarting — and outrunning — a coyote in hot pursuit. A roadrunner can’t really outrun a coyote, but it can dart across the desert floor at up to 20 miles per hour! While it can fly, it spends most of its time on the ground, where it chases down insects, lizards, and even small rattlesnakes.

Definitions of roadrunner

1. noun

   speedy largely terrestrial bird found from California and Mexico to Texas
   synonyms: Geococcyx californianus, chaparral cock

   type of:

   cuckoo

   any of numerous European and North American birds having pointed wings and a long tail