|
|
American Coot
Photos by Bruce
Dayton
|
|
ORDER:
Gruiformes
FAMILY: Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, Coots - 11
Species)
SPECIES:
American Coot
(Fulica americana)
CLICK - on any silver bar to
return to top of page
|
American Coot |
|
|
The American Coot is notoriously known for being gregarious, and aggressive. It is well-known for its habit of rising from the water; running along the surface, it beats the water with wings and feet, until it gains sufficient momentum to fly. |
|
|
SIZE |
Small (14-16”) migratory marsh bird. |
| DESCRIPTION |
Coots have a slate gray body with a
black head and neck and a white bill.
|
| NESTING | Clutch
size ranges from 7-12 eggs, which are incubated in
21 to 25 days. |
| RANGE | In the summer, they are fairly common across much of North America. |
| HABITAT | They habitat freshwater lakes, ponds and marshes. |
| DIET | Coots feed by diving to the bottom for fish and mollusks and dabbling at the surface. They also consume grains and grasses. |
|
|
| American Coot | |
| Montezuma
National Wildlife Refuge Seneca County, New York |
|
 |
|
| AmCt_120B_010792 | |
 |
|
| AmCt_120B_012589 | |
 |
 |
| AmCt_120B_025097 | AmCt_120B_010752 |
 |
|
| AmCt_120B_040202 | |
|
|
|
Black and White Warbler Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes |
 |
|
|
| INTERESTING FACTS |
| Mollusks |
| One of two main classifications of shellfish (Mollusk) and (Crustacean). Mollusks are invertebrates with soft bodies, sometimes wholly or partly enclosed in a hard shell of one or more pieces. They include oysters, clams, snails, slugs, octopuses and many more. |
Return to
Birds
of North America
For Fine Art Scenic Prints
Visit FingerLakesFalls.com
|
Please email with any ideas or comments concerning this web page. |
| The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit. |
NOTE: This site will be updated as time and pictures become available.
Visit Mammals of North America
American Coot
(Fulica americana)
Updated 10-19-2008
