Wild Things: American Coot (Fulica americana)

The American Coot may be mistaken for a duck but is in a different order and only distantly related. Ducks are in the order Anseriformes, or waterfowl. Coots are classified as Gruiformes, the order of the cranes and rails. Coots have similar aquatic feeding habits as dabbling ducks, however, their feet are not webbed. Rather, the toes of the coot are individually lobed, enabling them to swim more efficiently but also walk more easily on land than ducks with webbed feet. The Coot is found in lakes and marshes year round throughout most of the United States, excepting the eastern portion, where they are only common in winter. Breeding season range extends from the northern Great Plains up into Canada. They have strong legs and feet but need to work them in a rapid scramble across the surface of the water to get airborne.

The body of the Coot is dark gray, with a black head, red eyes, and bright white beak, often with a red spot at the upper base near the forehead. The body is up to 18” long and wingspan is about two feet. They feed on algae and other aquatic vegetation, sometimes also taking small fish, mollusks, and other invertebrates, as well. In winter they may be found foraging in fields near water or in salt water marshes or shorelines of lakes and rivers. Coots are gregarious and often are found in flocks. They are quite common and are often the only bird species observed on a pond or lake as one passes by.

In the breeding season they favor shallow bodies of water where the both partners build several nests, either in reed cover or as floating platforms, laying up to a dozen eggs at a chosen site. Other structures are used for roosting. Coot pairs form permanent monogamous bonds and both partners cooperate in incubating the clutch. The young receive a diet of aquatic invertebrates.

Nest parasitism in the Coot community is common, with one study finding that 40% of the nests contained eggs from other females than the owner.

Reproductive success is enhanced by females laying additional eggs in nests not their own. But females are able to recognize their own chicks and often will reject the foreign chick. Coot chicks have orange-tipped plumes on the head and body that facilitate recognition by the female. These colors fade after about a week, once the mother/chick bond is established, making the chicks once more uniformly dark and less attractive to potential predators. The young are able to swim shortly after birth and can fly after about two months.

Coots fall prey to a variety of predators able to hunt in aquatic environments, like eagles, ospreys, raccoons, muskrats, alligators, gulls, and others. In some locales Coots have been found to comprise up to 80% of the diet of bald eagles there.

The Audubon Society lists the American Coot as a species of Least Concern and the range is not thought to be vulnerable to significant decrease in coming decades.

James Taulman is a semi-retired research wildlife biologist who worked with the U.S.F.S. research branch and taught zoology, ecology, and more in several university positions. He lives in the East Mountains, and explores natural areas observing native wildlife and conducting independent research projects. Search for James Taulman on Youtube to see wildlife videos.