Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Greater Roadrunners galore


The classic crest-up, tail-up pose



Greater Roadrunners appear to be habitual sunbathers. They turn their backs to the sun and raise up the feathers on the rump, lower back and mantle. The feathers appear to be incredibly erectile all over, but they are also able to sit very flat, so that the roadrunner can be a remarkable shapeshifters.



Preening poses



The crest is particularly erectile




This bird was so tame, it was coming straight for me, looking for food nearby. I really had to back off to get all (or even most) of the bird in the frame, even though I was using a 300mm lens.


Look at the change in shape between this and the previous photo

When they want to, roadrunners can flatten themselves as low as lizards, to creep along on their bellies and get under the lowest-hanging branches. Their legs appear very strong and flexible.

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