The Hunt

Greater Roadrunner

I should have known when the Roadrunner let Becca get within fifteen feet of him that something stronger than an urge to flee was motivating the bird.   When he ran ahead and stopped slightly off trail I was curious about his behavior.  And when he crouched low to the ground I figured he was trying to conceal himself.  A second later, though, he launched himself into a short flight and pounced down on a small critter, which let out a squeal.  The Roadrunner then shook its prey vigorously, later pounding it on the ground.  I wasn't sure what he had killed until I got home and looked at the photo I snapped using the 10X function on my camera; it was a small bird.  Although I have seen Roadrunners streaking across the desert with lizards and small snakes in their beaks, I had never witnessed one during an actual hunt.

Many people don't know how strong and clever these large cuckoos really are.  Sometimes they'll hunt a rattlesnake in tandem, one bird jumping up and down and spreading its wings to distract the snake while the other pins the snake's neck before pounding its head on the ground.  The bird's lifespan can be as long as seven years.

Doing what a Roadrunner is born to do

Stopping off trail to keep an eye on us

Crouching

Eating its prey:  a small bird

White-winged Dove in a Yucca crown

Sulphur-colored rock

Torrey Yucca

Enjoying an early-morning hike

The Chihuahuan Desert west of Tortugas Mountain