Beep, Beep! Roadrunner Sprints into Queens Zoo
June 6, 2012
The average running speed of the birds residing at the Queens Zoo has skyrocketed with the addition of a greater roadrunner. The unnamed male, a small bird with black, brown and white plumage and a long tail, lives alongside the thick-billed parrots on the South American Trail.
In addition to running as fast as 25 miles per hour, roadrunners have a reputation for their wide range of birdsong. Their calls include coos, staccato tones, and rattles, and each conveys a specific message. Abundant within the American southwest, roadrunners are often seen darting across their namesake turf—roads.
Scott Silver, Director of the Queens Zoo, explains the appeal of the zoo’s new addition, “This is a very popular exhibit…for the many people who grew up watching the famous Roadrunner cartoon.” (A coyote pack also lives at the zoo, a safe distance away.)
To learn more about the new roadrunner, check out
this slideshow from Time Magazine.
