Geococcyx velox
Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) is a large, long-legged bird that is a member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is found in Mesoamerica. Its Latin name means "swift earth-cuckoo". Along with the greater roadrunner, it is one of two species in the genus Geococcyx.
The lesser roadrunner is a slender bird that reaches a length of 46 to 51 cm (18 in), the tail itself accounting for about 24 cm (9.4 in). Its average length is 46 cm (18 in). The male weighs 174–207 grams (6.1–7.3 oz), while the female weighs 162–192 grams (5.7–6.8 oz).
The crown, crest and neck of the lesser roadrunner are black with a bronze glow and small light brown spots. The back neck is black-brown, with feathers are lined with a pale brown, so that a brown-white dashes arises. The plumage of the upper body is dark brown with light speckles and lightens to maroon towards the rump, and its breast is white. The rectrices are black with a dark purple luster. Young roadrunners resemble adults, but have ocher-colored lines, and duller skin around the eye.
The iris is yellow to brown, with a yellow to silvery-white ring surrounding the pupil. The eye ring is pale lavender to bright blue. The... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Roadrunner sighting in La Tigra National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 115th most-seen of the 176 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April, August, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Roadrunner in La Tigra National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, May–July, September and November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Roadrunner sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Lesser Roadrunner sightings, La Tigra National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Celaque National Park (Honduras, about 10%).
Same family: Cuculidae
The closest relatives of the Lesser Roadrunner that you can see in La Tigra National Park (family Cuculidae, Cuckoos) are Squirrel Cuckoo (about 20%) and Groove-billed Ani (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Roadrunner is recorded against all the birds logged in La Tigra National Park (18 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
