American coot

Description:

Dark bodies and a white bill and face. Coots are more closely related to Sandhill cranes than to ducks.

Habitat:

Spotted at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

Notes:

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.