WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 181 



III. — COMMON LAND BIRDS IN 

 COLOR GROUPS 



WITH BKOWN PREDOMINATING IN PLUMAGE 



385. ROAD-RUNNER. — Geococcyx califomianus. 



(Common names : Chaparral Cock ; Ground Cuckoo ; Liz- 

 ard Bird.) 



Family : The Road-runners, Anis, and Cuckoos. 



Length: 20.00-24.00. 



Adidts : Upper parts iridescent blue-tlack ou head, neck, and shoulders ; 

 metallic greenish brown on lower back, tail, and wings ; feathers 

 broadly edged with white ; tail-feathers blue-black, broadly tipped 

 with white ; under parts whitish, and throat streaked dull buff and 

 blackish ; naked skin in front of the eye, blue and orange ; feathers 

 of the head and neck stiff and bristly ; tail long and graduated ; four 

 white thumb marks on the under tail-feathers. 



Geographical Distribution: Texas, New Mexico, Southern California, 

 west through California, south into Mexico. 



Breeding Range : Throughout its habitat. * 



Breeding Season : March 15 to July 1. 



Nest : A platform of twigs ; lined with cowhair, leaves, or feathers, or 

 nearly unlined ; variously placed in bushes or trees, from 3 to 8 feet 

 from the ground. 



Eggs : 2 to 12 ; huffy white. Size 1.56 X 1.23. 



Thje " Road-runner " is well named. No matter how 

 long one has lived in California or how familiar one may 

 be with Western birds, the novelty of seeing one of these 

 birds dart out of the chaparral and race down the road 

 ahead of one never loses its charm. " It takes a right 

 smart horse to keep up with him." Do not expect to 

 overtake him or to win the race. A brisk trot merely 

 keeps you the same distance behind him, and a faster 

 gait only sends him scudding along more rapidly. When 



