February American Coot portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah

American Coot Images, Facts and Information:

Fulica americana

  • American Coots are chunky chicken-like birds with dark to black bodies, red eyes, white bills with a dark ring, and long greenish yellow legs with long toes.
  • In some areas coots are year round residents and in other areas they are migratory. American Coots can be found throughout North America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
  • American Coots prefer habitats which include ponds, lakes and marshes. During the winter they can also be found in coastal inlets and bays.
  • The diet of American Coots includes aquatic and terrestrial vegetation, aquatic invertebrates, snails, worms and amphibians.
  • American Coots lay 2 to 12 eggs which hatch in 21 to 25 days. Both sexes incubate and they are monogamous.
  • Nicknames for American Coots include “Marsh Hen” and “Mud Hen”.
  • A group of coots can be called a “commotion”, “shoal”, “swarm” and “fleet” of coots.
  • American Coots can live up to 22 years.

I hope you enjoy viewing my American Coot photos.

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