This is a tall slim Texas native bird that eats lizards and snakes. They are a real Texas icon along with tumble weed and hot summer days. They are often seen running across open land and along road sides but they do fly as well as they can run.
It has been probably a year since the last time I got a call for an injured road runner and now I have gotten a call every day this week about another road runner to be helped. The call just now was about an adult road runner that was saved from drowning in a horse trough. The lady is going to place it in a large dog crate and give it time and quiet to recover. I did ask her to hold it upside down and allow any water he may have inhaled or swallow to drain out. Road Runners are amazingly gentle bird and it ill not resist her help. It sounds like it was simply trying to get a drink of water and fell in. It is not uncommon for birds to drown in water troughs. Floating a log or piece of 2×4 in the trough is a simple way to get the birds a life raft.
UPDATE This morning the drowned road runner was release in his original location and flew away! Bravo!!
This little guy is a fledgling road runner that came in yesterday. He ate a little, took some fluid but ultimately died. Since he had no apparent injuries and the heat index was in the triple digits, I attribute his death to the heat. I have been doing this for a long time but it still hurts to watch a bird draw it’s last breath. Today rehabbing sucks!
