When I moved to New Mexico, I was astonished that WB’s cartoon character of the Road Runner had been based on a real creature. Who knew? We had seagulls in New England, I get a pass.

Still Life: The real deal

Geococcyx californianus, the Greater roadrunner, is “New Mexico true.” They are long-legged birds in the cuckoo family and inhabit the Southwestern United States and Mexico. They run like a bullet, but aren’t purple and don’t say BEEP BEEP.