They only fly to escape predators. They can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Yes, for limited distances. Wild coyotes can’t expect roadrunners to actually stick to the road when their life is on the line! Ahh, no…you’ve watching too many cartoons Leo!
Can they fly? However their predator, the coyote, can run twice as fast, making it difficult for the roadrunner to outrun its speedy predator. Roadrunners spend most of their time on the ground and reach speeds up to 20 miles per hour. However, the roadrunner does have one advantage over the coyote, and that is its capability to take flight. Regards, JCS The roadrunner normally prefers sprinting, rather than flying. Even the cartoon version of the bird has wings, though, so you may wonder why he doesn't simply fly out of reach of his nemesis. Most everyone is familiar with the cartoon Roadrunner escaping the coyote by dashing away in a cloud of dust. Just because a bird has wings, doesn't mean he flies. Can the greater roadrunner fly? They prefer not to but if a coyote were about to catch a roadrunner that roadrunner would take to the wing and be gone! There is also the really pesky fact that roadrunners can fly.