Californian Earth-Cuckoo or Greater Roadrunner Skull measures 3.7 in. Californian Earth-Cuckoo Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in the USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw).
The roadrunner skull is a single-piece bone structure with a jaw that’s attached to the cranium. Roadrunners are members of the cuckoo family and are known for their running abilities.
Californian Earth-Cuckoo or Greater Roadrunner is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from the Southwestern United States and Mexico.
With speeds upward of 25 miles an hour, roadrunners definitely earn their name. They are quick on the ground without losing their ability to fly, and will fly short distances to perch on branches, posts, and rocks.
Greater roadrunners are about two feet tall with long, thin legs. They have mottled brown-and-tan feathers. The tail is long and sticks out to help the roadrunner balance when standing and running.
Roadrunners have a crest at the top of the head that can puff up when the bird is trying to communicate with other roadrunners. Roadrunners call with a series of “coo” sounds.
They feed on many large insects, plus other arthropods including scorpions, tarantulas, and centipedes. They catch lizards, snakes, mice, young ground squirrels, small birds and sometimes snails. They also enjoy eating Catus fruit and the seeds.
During the courtship display, the male bows, alternately lifting and dropping his wings and spreading his tail. He parades in front of the female with his head high and his tail and wings drooped, and may bring an offering of food.
The finished nest can reach over 17 inches in diameter and 8 inches high, lined with leaves, grasses, feathers, smaller sticks, snakeskin, and flakes of cattle and horse manure. The parents may continue to work on the nest during incubation and build up the sides of the nest as the chicks grow.
Greater roadrunners lay three to six eggs, which hatch in 20 days. The chicks fledge in another 18 days. Pairs may occasionally rear a second brood when there is an abundance of food in rainy summers.
Their average lifespan is approximately 7 years.
