Editing Roadrunner (section)

== Morphology ==
[[File:Greater Roadrunner Collage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Three views of the same specimen]]

The roadrunner generally ranges in size from {{convert|22|to|24|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} from tail to [[beak]]. The average weight is about {{convert|8|–|15|oz|g|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Animal Spot|work=Desert Animals|title= Roadrunner|url=http://www.desertanimals.net/desertanimals/roadrunner.html|access-date=3 May 2012}}</ref> The roadrunner is a slender, black-brown and white-streaked ground bird with a distinctive head [[Crest (feathers)|crest]]. It has long legs, strong feet, and an oversized dark [[beak|bill]]. The tail is broad with white tips on the three outer tail feathers. The bird has a bare patch of skin behind each eye; this patch is shaded blue anterior to red posterior. The lesser roadrunner is slightly smaller, not as streaky, and has a smaller bill. Both the lesser roadrunner and the greater roadrunner leave behind very distinct "X" track marks appearing as if they are travelling in both directions.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Elbroch | first1=M. | last2=Marks | first2=E. | last3=Boretos | first3=D.C. | title=Bird Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species | publisher=[[Stackpole Books]] | year=2001 | isbn=978-0-8117-4253-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8by3DAAAQBAJ&pg=PR7 | access-date=2019-09-04 | page=160}}</ref>

Roadrunners and other members of the cuckoo family have [[Zygodactyly|zygodactyl]] feet. The roadrunner can run at speeds of up to {{convert|20|mph|km/h|order=flip|abbr=on}}<ref name="Lockwood1">{{cite book |last=Lockwood |first=Mark |title=Basic Texas birds: a field guide |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jJIyfDPk9scC&pg=PA168|pages=168–169 |isbn=978-0-292-71349-9 |date=January 2010 }}</ref> and generally prefer sprinting to flying, though it will fly to escape [[predator]]s.<ref>{{cite web | title=Greater Roadrunner Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology | website=Online bird guide, bird ID help, life history, bird sounds from Cornell | url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Roadrunner/lifehistory | ref={{sfnref | Online bird guide, bird ID help, life history, bird sounds from Cornell}} | access-date=2019-09-02}}</ref> During flight, the short, rounded wings reveal a white crescent in the [[primary feathers]].

=== Vocalization===
[[File:Roadrunner Clatter.ogg|Roadrunner beak clatter|right]]

The roadrunner has a slow and descending dove-like "coo". It also makes a rapid, vocalized clattering sound with its beak.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bird Sounds|url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Roadrunner/sounds}}</ref>