The waterborne American Coot is one good reminder that not everything that floats is a duck. A close look at a coot—that small head, those scrawny legs—reveals a different kind of bird entirely. Their dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the continent, and they often mix with ducks.
The American Coot is a plump bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Their tiny tail, short wings, and large feet are visible on the rare occasions they take flight.
Coots are dark-gray to black birds with a bright-white bill and forehead. The legs are yellow-green. At close range you may see a small patch of red on the forehead.
You’ll find coots eating aquatic plants on almost any body of water. When swimming they look like small ducks (and often dive), but on land they walking rather than waddling. An awkward and often clumsy flier, the American Coot requires long running takeoffs to get airborne.
Look for American Coots at ponds in city parks, in marshes, reservoirs, along the edges of lakes, and in roadside ditches, sewage treatment ponds. Found through out Alberta..They are trusting and go about their own business..