"Most famous desert bird of the U.S., the Greater Roadrunner is one of my favorite wildlife photography subjects. Found throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico, this ground-dwelling charismatic member of the cuckoo family prefers running over flying, and can run at speeds up to 26 mph! Living in harsh desert and semi-arid environments, they are constantly on the lookout for their next meal. Prey can be anything from snakes (even rattlesnakes), to fast-moving lizards, large insects, scorpions, spiders, rodents, birds, eggs, nestlings, plus some fruits and seeds. Sometimes two or more birds will cooperatively take down larger snakes. In this case, a collared lizard makes a very nice and enviable prize! And when you are hungry, someone else’s prey can be the greatest prize of all! The roadrunner is a zygodactyl bird, meaning two toes point forward, and two toes point backwards. Their long tail helps them balance and maneuver during fast chases."

(5% of AFC sale to be donated to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for environmental education.)