A Greater Roadrunner sighting in Denver has birders buzzing with no sign of Wile E. Coyote in pursuit far from the species’ usual range.

A Greater Roadrunner sighting in Denver is stirring interest among birders after the cuckoo was seen by multiple people in recent weeks.

According to a report on eBird.org, a Greater Roadrunner was spotted on April 15 along South Parker Road in Denver. While this is the only report on eBird for Denver, other recent sightings have sparked interest in the local birding scene, with mentions appearing on the Birds of Colorado Facebook group and other birding websites.

Audubon Denver Master Birder Crystal Reser told AccuWeather that while the sighting is “unusual,” it is not a “rare bird alert” like a more recent sighting of a white-faced ibis in Colorado, a species that typically inhabits the southeastern United States. Still, the roadrunner is well north of where the birds are usually found.

Greater roadrunners are native to Texas, Oklahoma and the far southeastern corner of Colorado. They are not typically found in urban environments.

“They do like to run,” Reser said, referencing the Looney Tunes cartoon. “They spend most of their time on the ground, hunting snakes, insects and bugs and chasing them on the ground.”

Reser said the bird was spotted in a congested part of the city near the High Line Canal, which could provide clues about how it ended up so far north of its usual habitat.

“My guess, he followed the greenbelt heading north from Colorado Springs to Denver,” Reser said.

This Denver newcomer may also be young. A juvenile bird could have become disoriented while searching for food or exploring. It could also be seeking a new habitat. Reser said no Greater Roadrunners have ever nested in the Denver metro area.

“We are seeing more kind of unusual birds showing up in Colorado,” Reser said.

Spring migration is a good time for birders to spot non-native species, but Reser said roadrunners do not typically migrate far from their southwestern habitat.

Still, she said the sighting highlights how bird-watching can reveal broader environmental patterns. Storms and weather changes can also push birds into unusual areas.

“The important thing is to pay attention to what is happening in nature,” she said. “Birds are one of the best ways to be in tune with nature…and trying to do something to improve it.”

Providing water in birdbaths and planting native plants are two ways people can help their feathered friends.

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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — If you feel like we’ve had a lot of red flag days across Colorado since the start of the year, you’re right.

According to our Denver7 weather team, there have been 369 red flag warnings across the state since the start of 2026, marking the second-highest number recorded to date since 2005. In 2023, there were 408 red flag warnings from Jan. 1 through April 22 of that year, according to Denver7 meteorologist Danielle Grant

A red flag day happens when warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds combine to create critical fire weather conditions.

▶️ WATCH: Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio talked red flag fatigue with residents and officials

Colorado sees second-highest number of red flag days since 2005

In Boulder County, officials say the frequency of these warnings in their area is breaking records, too.

“We’ve had 21 thus far since the beginning of 2026, and that number is almost as many as we’ve had in the previous years combined, 2024 and 2025,” said Vinnie Montez, a spokesperson for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

With the high volume of alerts, Montez worries the frequent warnings will become white noise.

Denver7 asked him if there is some red flag fatigue in the community.

“When you see the same commercial come up over and over again, you’re kind of like, flip the channel, right? I think that can happen in what we’re messaging,” Montez said.

At Chautauqua Park in Boulder, residents are taking note of how often these days are happening.

“It’s almost every day,” Mac Whittington said.

Levi Brown, a Boulder resident, pointed out that all the ingredients for high fire danger are present.

“You look around, there’s a lot of fuel in the ground, a lot of wind blowing right now, in fact,” Brown said.

For Brown, who has lived in the area for 26 years, every warning carries weight.

“It seems to be more prevalent now. And I don’t take it lightly,” Brown said.

For those who do not take the days seriously, Whittington offered a word of caution.

“Hopefully we don’t have to learn the lesson the hard way,” he said.

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