Perch Supply
Diet

What do roadrunners eat?

Lizards, snakes, insects, rodents and small birds.

Cuckoos (Cuculidae)Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus

Spring and summer diet

  • Lizards, grasshoppers, scorpions and snakes

Fall and winter diet

  • Rodents, small birds and fruit

Best feeder foods

  • None — never feed meat; it hunts live prey

Runs at up to 20 mph rather than flying and sunbathes with its back feathers raised on cold mornings.

Which feeder works best for roadrunners →

Where roadrunners need winter food

Regions where roadrunners are present in the cold months:

ArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoKansasLouisianaMissouriNevadaNew MexicoOklahomaTexasUtah

Frequently asked

What do roadrunners eat?

Lizards, snakes, insects, rodents and small birds.

What is the best food to feed roadrunners?

None — never feed meat; it hunts live prey.

What do roadrunners eat in winter?

Rodents, small birds and fruit.

Sources

  1. Greater Roadrunner — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Greater Roadrunner life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Greater Roadrunner — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.