Jeff King, age 7, of Bradenton, Fla., for his question:

WHY DO WE CALL ONE BIRD ROADRUNNER?

Our friend the roadrunner is a resident of the Southwestern United States and of the northern part of Mexico. He’s also called the chaparral cock or hen, the ground cuckoo and the snake killer. He’s actually a member of the cuckoo family.

The swift footed bird received his name because of his habit: he likes to race down roads in front of travelers. The roadrunner is also the state bird of New Mexico.

Measuring nearly two feet in length, the roadrunner has extremely long legs with two toes at the front and two in the back.

Roadrunners build their nests of sticks in low trees or shrubs. The female lays from two to nine whitish eggs. The birds eat insects, mice, lizards, young snakes and fruit.