Greater roadrunner of New Mexico. Greater roadrunner The greater roadrunner ("Geococcyx californianus") is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from Southwestern United States and Mexico. The Latin name means "Californian earth-cuckoo". Along with the lesser roadrunner, it is one of two species in the roadrunner genus "Geococcyx". This roadrunner is also known as the chaparral cock, ground cuckoo, and snake killer. The roadrunner is about long, has a wingspan and weighs . It stands around tall and is the largest cuckoo of the Americas. Roadrunners have four toes on each zygodactyl foot; two face forward, and two face backward. The
Oriental cuckoo Oriental cuckoo The Oriental cuckoo or Horsfields cuckoo ("Cuculus optatus") is a bird belonging to the genus "Cuculus" in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Himalayan cuckoo ("C. saturatus") with the name Oriental cuckoo used for the combined species. Differences in voice and size suggest that they should be treated as a separate species. The binomial name "Cuculus horsfieldi" has often been used instead of "Cuculus optatus" but is now usually considered to be a junior synonym. It is 30-32 centimetres long with a wingspan of 51-57 centimetres and a weight of 73-156