By Dominick Leskiw
A raft of coots along the Columbia River in central Washington
If you live on a lake in Snohomish County, chances are you’ve seen an American Coot (Fulica americana). These chicken-sized black waterbirds, white-billed with red eyes, can often be found munching on vegetation near lake edges. While at some times of the year they hang out alone or in small groups, in winter you might see a raft of hundreds or even thousands of coots mixed with other waterfowl out in the middle of your lake! They do this as a “safety in numbers” defense against predators like hawks and eagles.
American coot, juvenile – Photo by “Mike” Michael L. Baird
Perhaps surprisingly, coots are not ducks. In fact, they are more closely related to sandhill cranes and rails!
What are some differences between coots and ducks? Enter our special “feet”ure. Coots have some wacky looking feet. Unlike ducks, which have webbed feet, coots have long toes, each outlined by broad lobes that help them paddle through the water. For ducks, those webbed feet lead to awkward waddling once on shore. The lobes on a coot’s toes, however, fold up when lifted out of water, so they don’t hinder walking on dry land. The lobes also provide extra surface area for stabilization on muddy or mucky ground.
Baby coots – Photo by Channel City Camera Club/Susan T. Cook
Coot chicks are also quite distinct. While ducklings are fluffy and darling to look at, baby coots are not exactly “cute” in appearance. They have wild black and orange feathers that stick up in all directions, bald red heads, and bright red bills. The reason for this is that the more vibrant a chick’s colors, the more preferential treatment they might receive from Mom and Dad! Regardless, they’re still endearing in their own way.
You can encourage coots to live on your lake by planting or maintaining shoreline vegetation but be sure to never feed coots or other waterfowl! Wild birds eat natural foods like plants and insects, and human foods like bread and birdseed lack the nutrition they really need.
For more information about how to care for your shorelines and the wildlife and people that enjoy them, see: https://snohomishcountywa.gov/2592/LakeWise-Shorelines
Dominick Leskiw is a Water Quality Analyst for Snohomish County Surface Water Management’s lakes program
