American coote

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American coote Fulica americana

The American coote belongs in the Rallidae family. 


They are dark brown with a black head with red eyes, white bill and yellow legs. They are a small bird with tiny wings. 

They eat aquatic plants on many types of water. They look similar to ducks and chickens due to the locomotion. 

They are found in marshes, city and urban areas, ponds, salt water and lakes. They forage for their food and dive, they eat plants, algae, insects and crustaceans. 

They are not very graceful in take out, they need a long runway and to flap the wings fast. 

They get very aggressive over their territory. Courtship sees the male chasing the female, swimming and arching his wings. The male and female both construct the nest on the water with dead plant matter. The female lays around eight eggs, incubation is twenty five days and done by the male and female. They also both feed the young. The young are able to swim very soon after hatching and leave the nest at eight weeks. 

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  Allaboutbirds.org, (2015). American Coot. [online] Available at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot/lifehistory [Accessed 15 Apr. 2015].

  
  

  Audubon, (2014). American Coot. [online] Available at: http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-coot [Accessed 15 Apr. 2015].