Featured Article: American Coot
Photo by Fulmar
Identification
Length 34-43 cm (13¼-17 in), wingspan 60-70 cm, weight 430-840 g (males heavier, but some overlap)
- Dark blackish-gray, duck-like bird with
- White bill and frontal shield with dark spots near the tip, and red swelling at upper edge, visible at close range
- White undertail coverts, and
- Dull yellow legs with lobed toes
Distribution
Breeds throughout North America: Alaska and Canada through the continental U.S., and is a resident in Colombia and Ecuador; winters in the western and southern U.S. and the West Indies (where range is apparently expanding).
