Roadrunner, going faster, ends up in Maine after hitchhike

FREEDOM, Maine – A wayward roadrunner is on the mend in Maine after traveling across the country in a moving van.

The greater roadrunner, a species native to Southwestern states, hitched a ride in the storage area of a moving van from Las Vegas to Westbrook, Maine. Volunteers took the bird to Avian Haven, a bird rehabilitation facility in Maine.

Avian Haven representatives said that they took the call about the bird Nov. 13 and that it continued to rest Tuesday. They said in a Facebook post that the bird was in “remarkably good shape” for having been stuck in a van for four days but might have lost weight during the journey.

The center is looking at ways to return the roadrunner to Nevada once it is healthy enough, said Diane Winn, Avian Haven's executive director.

The center has created a special habitat for the bird that is warmer than its typical outdoor areas while also being sufficiently roomy, the group said.