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Overview
For everyone who loves the bird we call roadrunner, camino corres, paisano, chaparral. . . .Southwesterners are well accustomed to this sleek, mostly brown and white, long-tailed nemesis of coyote as it darts across roads or perches on a post or branch never too far from the ground. Equally familiar is the stylized image of the roadrunner, which adorns everything from Native American pottery and jewelry to clothing and logos. Clearly the roadrunner continues to thrive as a cultural icon. Yet no other study comes close to equaling Wyman Meinzer’s stunning classic, now available in this tenth anniversary edition.Meinzer’s photo study is his personal account of the years he has spent observing and recording the daily routine of several roadrunner families. Through his lens, Meinzer chronicled roadrunners’ courting, mating, nesting, hunting, and rearing their young.Punctuated by humor and poignancy, his story possesses an unmatched connectedness and insights afforded only those who develop a longstanding relationship with their subjects of study. Many of the roadrunners that Meinzer recorded became comfortable with his presence—one even permitted his assistance in catching a lizard.Though it is hard to improve upon a classic, this new edition, celebrating the book’s tenth year of publication, includes a new preface from Meinzer and several new photographs, including that of a rare white roadrunner.
Synopsis
"Southwesterners are well accustomed to this sleek, mostly brown and white, long-tailed nemesis of coyote as it darts across roads or perches on a post or branch never too far from the ground. Equally familiar is the stylized image of the roadrunner, which adorns everything from Native American pottery and jewelry to clothing and logos. Clearly the roadrunner continues to thrive as a cultural icon. Yet no other study comes close to equaling Wyman Meinzer's stunning classic, now available in this tenth anniversary edition." "Meinzer's photo study is his personal account of the years he has spent observing and recording the daily routine of several roadrunner families. Through his lens, Meinzer chronicled roadrunners' courting, mating, nesting, hunting, and rearing of their young." Punctuated by humor and poignancy, his story possesses an unmatched connectedness and insights afforded only those who develop a longstanding relationship with their subjects of study. Many of the roadrunners that Meinzer recorded became comfortable with his presence - one even permitted his assistance in catching a lizard.
Library Journal
This engaging book is the first one available on the roadrunner, a species of cuckoo that sometimes eats rattlesnakes by swallowing them whole. These unique birds were famous even before the popular cartoon character (beep! beep!). They are fairly common in arid areas of the U.S. Southwest and in Mexico, where they are called paisano. Meinzer is an accomplished outdoor photograher with 170 magazine and book covers to his credit. His present roadrunner studies were done in Texas and feature 115 fine color photos that offer excellent depictions of roadrunners capturing snakes, lizards, mice, praying mantises, etc., but also show many courtship and nesting scenes. Habitats and scenery are also detailed. Although brief, the text is both informal and informative, with sections on biology, habits, feeding, and young. This book is worth the price for the exceptional photos alone. Highly recommended.-- Henry T. Armistead, Thomas Jefferson Univ. Lib., Philadelphia