American Coot Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike 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.

  Relative Size

  About two-thirds the size of a Mallard.

  between robin and crow

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 15.5-16.9 in (39.4-42.9 cm)
    • Weight: 21.2-24.7 oz (600-700 g)
    • Wingspan: 23.0-25.0 in (58.4-63.5 cm)

  © Ian Davies / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  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.

• Behavior

  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 look more chickenlike, walking rather than waddling. An awkward and often clumsy flier, the American Coot requires long running takeoffs to get airborne.
• Habitat

  Look for American Coots at ponds in city parks, in marshes, reservoirs, along the edges of lakes, and in roadside ditches, sewage treatment ponds, and saltwater inlets or saltmarshes.