The American Coot isn’t a duck. It has webbed toes instead of webbed feet. They are noisy, gregarious members of the rail family. The coot is a medium-sized diving bird with a white bill, yellow legs, and lobed toes. The feet look oversized for this bird. The body is dark gray to black with a blackish head and neck. The male is a little larger than the female, but otherwise look alike.
Can you believe that the oldest American Coot, recorded in the wild, was 22 years and 4 months old. That’s kind of amazing given they are prime prey of Bald Eagles and Osprey. I think they are an attractive chubby little birds with their red eyes and white bill.
I took this photo a few years ago. I wanted to show you their unique feet.
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