Did you know that American coots do not have webbed feet?
American Coots
at
a Glance
Key Features:
American coots are dark gray or black birds with red eyes, white beaks that have black rings on the tips.
Least Concern - Population Decreasing
Habitat:
Lakes, marshes, park ponds, sewage ponds, and swamps
nesting habits:
American coots build basket nests out of bulrushes, cattails, grasses, reeds, and sedges on floating platforms in water.
seasons American coots are active in our area:
Winter
Diet:
Aquatic plants, crustaceans, insects, salamanders, snails, and tadpoles
hunting Behavior:
American coots forage on land and in water. They also steal from other birds.
Commonly Confused With:
Pied-Billed Grebes
American coots are often confused with pied-billed grebes because both are plump water birds with white beaks that have a black stripe on them.
American coots are gray. Pied-billed grebes are brown.