Bird Album
Lesser Roadrunner
Geococcyx velox (Wagner, 1836)
46 cmLength180 gWeight
The lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) is a large, long-legged bird that is a member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae.
Busiest months: March · Most records: Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: March · Most records: Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala
Lesser Roadrunner has been recorded at 41 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Camino a MisnébalamMexico216 records
- PN Cañón del SumideroMexico126 records
- Zona Arqueológica Monte AlbánMexico113 records
More places
- Calle al sur de El TizatilloHonduras103 records
- Godinez – Aldea Los RoblesGuatemala103 records
- Ojo de Agua TolistoqueMexico86 records
- Zona Arqueológica YagulMexico86 records
- Camino de grava entre el Corchito y Estero de ChicxulubMexico51 records
- Carretera Sierra Papacal-ChuburnáMexico46 records
- Materiales Anillo PerifericoMexico42 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) is a large, long-legged bird that is a member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is found in Mesoamerica. Its Latin name means "swift earth-cuckoo".
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Lesser Roadrunner?
The Lesser Roadrunner is about 46 cm long and weighs around 180 g.
Where does the Lesser Roadrunner live?
Its breeding range: Middle America: western Mexico to Nicaragua. It is most often recorded in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.
When is the best time to see the Lesser Roadrunner?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Lesser Roadrunner endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lesser Roadrunner as Least Concern.
What does the Lesser Roadrunner eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Lesser Roadrunner in?
It belongs to the family Cuckoos (Cuculidae), order Cuculiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 46 cm
- Weight
- 180 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 142 mm
- Tail
- 269 mm
- Bill
- 43 mm
- Tarsus
- 48 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America: western Mexico to Nicaragua
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuckoos Cuculidae
- Genus
- Geococcyx
Other birds in the genus Geococcyx
Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus
Guira CuckooGuira guira
Greater AniCrotophaga major
Smooth-billed AniCrotophaga ani
Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris
Striped CuckooTapera naevia
Pheasant CuckooDromococcyx phasianellus
Pavonine CuckooDromococcyx pavoninus
Lesser Ground CuckooMorococcyx erythropygus
Rufous-vented Ground CuckooNeomorphus geoffroyi
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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