Roadrunners — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Roadrunners

The greater roadrunner is a large, ground-dwelling bird found in the deserts, scrublands, and open country of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Despite being a bird, roadrunners spend most of their time on foot, running after prey rather than flying. They are capable of reaching speeds up to 20 miles per hour on the ground. Roadrunners belong to the cuckoo family and are known for their distinctive appearance: a long tail, shaggy crest, and streaked brown and white plumage.

Roadrunners are bold and versatile hunters. They eat a wide variety of prey including insects, lizards, mice, small birds, and notably, venomous snakes including rattlesnakes. When attacking a snake, a roadrunner grabs it behind the head with its strong bill and repeatedly slams it against the ground or a rock. Two roadrunners sometimes cooperate to subdue larger snakes — one distracts the snake while the other attacks from behind. They also eat scorpions and tarantulas with no apparent ill effect.

Roadrunners have several adaptations for surviving desert heat and cold. On cool mornings, they raise their back feathers to expose dark skin patches that absorb solar radiation, warming their body using sunlight like a solar panel. During the hottest part of the day, they rest in shade. They can also reduce their metabolic rate overnight to conserve energy, entering a state similar to mild torpor.

Roadrunners are monogamous and typically mate for life. Pairs maintain a territory year-round and communicate through a series of low cooing calls. Their nests are built in low shrubs or cactus, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Male roadrunners bring food gifts to their mates as part of courtship. The lesser roadrunner, a smaller related species, lives in Mexico and Central America.

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