4/14/18

American Coot


American Coot 
(FulicaAmericana)
Photographed in Dana Point, California    Jul 2008
  
Often mistaken for a duck, the American Coot is a common water bird. It’s all black body and white chicken-like beak distinguishes this swimming rail from the real ducks.

Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead of having all the toes connected by webs, each coot toe has lobes on the sides of each segment.


An awkward and often clumsy flier, the coot requires long running takeoffs across the water’s surface to become airborne.

Although the coot will consume grains, grasses, and agricultural crops on land, it generally forages in or under water, where it is almost exclusively an herbivore. 


No comments:

Post a Comment