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
Black-billed cuckoo Black-billed cuckoo The black-billed cuckoo ("Coccyzus erythropthalmus") is a New World species in the Cuculidae (cuckoo) family. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name "kokkuzo", means to call like a common cuckoo, and "erythropthalmus" is from "eruthros", "red" and "ophthalmos", "eye". It is very similar and overlaps in range with the closely related yellow-billed cuckoo. A distinguishing characteristic of family Cuculidae is laying eggs in the nests of other birds. Although many cuckoos are obligate brood parasites, "C. erythropthalmus" often incubate their own chicks. Adults have a long, graduated brown tail and a black, slightly downcurved bill.