This order includes cuckoos and their relatives. Hover over a photo series to control the images.

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)

Greater roadrunners are the New Mexico state bird, and they should be Albuquerque's official bird as well. They have adapted well to the Duke City's sprawl, and can often be seen in peoples' yards (including my own). You may see greater roadrunners with their crests up or down. In one photo you can see that roadrunners have eyelashes. Since birds don't have hair, bird eyelashes are modified feathers. Relatively few bird species have such lashes.

Roadrunners can fly, but they're efficient runners and save energy by hoofing it as much as possible.