Roadrunners on the Move
Roadrunners on the Move
PART OF THE NATURAL RHYTHM OF THE PARK, THE FAST-RUNNING GROUND BIRD ARRIVES AT CRYSTAL COVE IN THE WARMER MONTHS.Late spring is a great time to visit the park to see one of the Historic District’s favorite natural predators: the roadrunner. During your next visit to Crystal Cove, keep your eyes peeled for roadrunners that are on the hunt for lizards and other prey. They’re among the most flamboyant animal life in the Historic District, with vibrant personalities and plenty of character that endears them to visitors.
“They’re so vain,” CCA’s President and CEO Harry Helling says jokingly, citing one roadrunner in the Historic District that visitors got to know pretty well.
“He would get his daily lizard and come present it to his reflection in the glass,” Harry adds, explaining that the roadrunner would jump up on top of the bench, and run back and forth on the railings in front of Cottage #34 to celebrate his daily catch.
Now that things are warming up by the beach, there are more small animals that come out to explore—which means larger animals, like roadrunners, are soon to follow and prey on them. This predator-prey relationship is part of the rhythm of the park and what you’d see in a healthy ecosystem.