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Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Chick Type : Subprecocial (Parental attendance and some parental nourishment) American Coots are found throughout the United States and into Western Canada during the breeding season. They winter in northeastern and southern United States. Sometimes individuals will over winter in unfrozen waters (usually utility company hot water outlets) in the midwest. Most of their diet consists of plant matter, such as seeds, fruits & leaves of aquatic plants, but invertebrates and small vertebrates are also taken. Nests are build on aquatic vegetation and clutch size can range from two to a dozen eggs. Incubation time is 21-25 days. American Coots do not have webbings between their toes, instead they have lobes that help them paddle in the water. Coots resemble ducks, but they are more closely related to Cranes and rails, than they are to ducks. They can also dive underwater to harvest aquatic vegetation that is out of reach. Coots are in the same family as rails, soras, Purple Gallinules and Common Moorhens. Flocks of coots are called covers or rafts. |
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