Springtime for a Pair of Roadrunners

We had a brief glimpse of courtship!

I was out with a group of friends when we saw a roadrunner cross our paths. As it moved on, we saw a second Roadrunner appear from the same spot and then head in the same direction, following the first bird but in no particular rush.

When the first Roadrunner reached a willow tree, it flew into the tree and moved to the end of a branch, hidden by leaves. The second Roadrunner paused at the base of the tree and we noticed that it had picked up a skinny twig. As soon as the second Roadrunner hopped up into the tree and worked its way towards the first one, we realized what was happening. When building nests, the male Roadrunner will gather twigs and branches. He then delivers them to the female who constructs the nest. That’s what we were witnessing!

The two Roadrunners moved around, mostly hidden by branches. Then the birds dropped back onto the ground, one at a time, and began foraging in a nearby grassy field.

At that point, we couldn’t tell which Roadrunner was which as male and female Roadrunners look alike. Suddenly, behavior again revealed which was which. One Roadrunner caught an insect and made a beeline to the other- the male Roadrunner was delivering food to the female. She had been hunting on her own but he needed to demonstrate that he was a good provider.

My friend Peggy Steffens took the following photo. She captured the food delivery between the pair. The male on the left offered his treat to the female on the right!! Thanks Peggy!

Once the food transfer was made, the pair lingered. Notice how her head is lowered compared to his. This is a sign of submission and acceptance of the courtship bond.

Her posture changed even more as she lowered herself further.

And then, time to eat!!! She flipped the grasshopper into the air and then easily caught it in her wide open throat.

The grasshopper went down easily and the male turned to resume hunting.

It was special to observe these springtime behaviors. You can be sure that we will return to this area in the future hoping to witness the chicks being raised.

PS In my previous post, I showed two photos of a Javelina that I mentioned was part of a small “troop”. A knowledgeable reader who noticed my error helped to alert me. A group of Javelinas is correctly referred to as a “squadron”, and not a “troop.” Thank you Douglas!