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Good Morning!
Photo Information
Copyright: Jane Magen (jaycee) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-09-12
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon SX10IS
Exposure: f/5.7, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-09-14 8:15
Viewed: 321
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Greater Roadrunner

The legendary roadrunner is famous for its distinctive appearance, its ability to eat rattlesnakes and its preference for scooting across the American deserts, as popularized in Warner Bros. cartoons.

The roadrunner is a large, black-and-white, mottled ground bird with a distinctive head crest. It has strong feet, a long, white-tipped tail and an oversized bill.

It ranges in length from 20 to 24 inches from the tip of its tail to the end of its beak. It is a member of the Cuckoo family (Cuculidae), characterized by feet with 2 forward toes and 2 behind.

When the roadrunner senses danger or is traveling downhill, it flies, revealing short, rounded wings with a white crescent. But it cannot keep its large body airborne for more than a few seconds, and so prefers walking or running (up to 17 miles per hour) usually with a clownish gait.

The roadrunner feeds almost exclusively on other animals, including insects, scorpions, lizards, snakes, rodents and other birds. Up to 10 % of its winter diet may consist of plant material due to the scarcity of desert animals at that time of the year.

Because of its lightening quickness, the roadrunner is one of the few animals that preys upon rattlesnakes. Using its wings like a matador's cape, it snaps up a coiled rattlesnake by the tail, cracks it like a whip and repeatedly slams its head against the ground till dead.

It then swallows its prey whole, but is often unable to swallow the entire length at one time. This does not stop the roadrunner from its normal routine. It will continue to meander about with the snake dangling from its mouth, consuming another inch or two as the snake slowly digests.


A roadrunner life does have its dangers. Roadrunners are occasionally preyed upon by hawks, house cats, raccoons, rat snakes, bullsnakes, skunks, and, coyotes eat nestlings and eggs. During the winter months, many succumb to freezing, icy weather.

From www.desertusa.com
goatman04, nglen, KOMSIS, nasokoun, boreocypriensis, maurydv, zulfu, siggi, bahadir, CeltickRanger, ferranjlloret, eqshannon, Gert-Paassen, anemone, Argus, xTauruSx, tuslaw, rousettus, Luis52 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To boreocypriensis: Childhoodjaycee 4 09-14 19:51
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Critiques [Translate]

Funny bird,nice capture.Regards.Alin.

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1978 W: 6 N: 5527] (19673)
  • [2009-09-14 8:44]

Ahahah,isn't a first time that this friend give us a moment of humour in your gallery.And it's another very nice and curious pic,impressive quality as usual and great colors.Have a nice day and thanks! Luciano

Hello Jane,

A beautiful capture of this Greater Roadrunner with beautiful coloration, sharpness & great details. Lovely POV, pose & BG.

Very nicely done & many thanks!

Regards

Umar

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2908 W: 34 N: 8625] (32146)
  • [2009-09-14 8:55]

Hi Jane . I sould love to see a Roadrunner in the wild they look so unusual. This one looks like its laughing . I have not noticed the blue tail before . Taken with fine detail in the feathers with natural colours. well done TFS.
Nick..

Hi Jane,
Unusual composition ...
Interesting and open beak with the bird a very good color and detail.
Best wishes,
Seyfi

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2388 W: 94 N: 5521] (17576)
  • [2009-09-14 9:17]

Hello Jane,
Great photo of this Roadrunner in warm conditions. Beautiful colours, good sharpness and POV. Stands out nicely against your garden wall.
Regards,
Peter

hello Jane
from your beloved subjects, again I say that is funny bird, very good the output, colours and details, as the composition great
TFS thanks for sharing
Nasos

Hahahaha:) what a superb pose you captured here BSJ,

It is adorable and of course foxy:) As always when i see a roadrunner shot brings my childhood to my mind:) therefore a special one for me.
Perfectly composed and focussed with great DOF and details- as usual.
TFS and have good night!
Cheers,

Bayram
Ps.Today our educational semestre started, hence i was a bit late for commenting! sorry!

Hello Jane,
a fantastic funny picture of the Greater Roadrunner taken with a very good sharpness and beautiful colours, i like the nice composition with this well-know bird in a great classic pose.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1057 W: 0 N: 162] (868)
  • [2009-09-14 12:58]

Hello Jane, here is night:)
Excellent shot of a roadrunner with nice composition and details.
TFS and G's,
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1373 W: 56 N: 4723] (16252)
  • [2009-09-14 12:59]

Hello Jane
Excellent image whit great POV.Very sharp image and great details.It is a very nice compostition whit beautiful colors.
Best regards Siggi

Hello Jne, lovely and great shot of this cute roadrunner. Nice composition and details.
TFS and regards, Bahadır

hello Jane

an excellent phoo of the Greater Roadrunner, fine POV,
fine framing with leaving a good space in-front where
is looking the bird, fine focus with excellent sharpness
and details, i love the bird's glance expression, TFS

Asbed

Hi Jane,
Nice pic! likeable bird that we know anywhere in the world, TFS!!!!
Best regards. Ferran.

I have been VERY much not well Jane so I am sorry to not have come to let you know how much your nice and quality images are received from the Shannons...G-d be with you1
Bob

Hello Jane,

This are a suburp shot from this Rowadrunner.
good details sharpness pov.
The only point for me hat I can find is that he are standing on the wall and the bg are a housewall.
Beautiful colours.

Hi Jane..
Another beautiful bird..
nice sharpness and details..
wonderful clarity and composition..
TFS
Best Regards
Özgür

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 190 N: 11348] (34987)
  • [2009-09-14 23:09]

Hello Jane,
This is great!
A fine capture of what must be one of my favourite birds though I have never seen it in real life!
The pose, composition, plain wall BG, colours and sharpness all contribute to a fine shot that shows something of the character of this remarkable bird.
Thanks and all the best,
Ivan

Ciao Jane, good morning to you too and to your beautiful Road Runner with splendid colors and nice pose, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hello Jane, beautiful and lovely shot of cute roadrunner with nice point of view and composition.
TFS and regards,
Deniz

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 504 W: 20 N: 1385] (4841)
  • [2009-09-15 18:32]

Hello Jane,
Great shot, he sure seems to be interested in something. Beautiful colors and captured in a wonderful pose.
I hope to see one in the wild someday. TFS.
Ron

hello Jane
nice to see again this beautiful cuckoo. great focus, POV and timing. nicely composed and informed. colorful eyebrow show it very pretty. thanks for sharing, best wishes
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 5 N: 3457] (12761)
  • [2009-09-17 13:34]

Hola Prima!!
Here one more cousin of my Roadrunner, so that makes us doubly cousins.
Love this guys. I have seen so many this year here, probably becouse we have to much heat and sun, and a lot of water during this past month. any way. Great photo. lovely and fine pose. Beautiful!!!
Saludos
Luis52.

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