American Coot

Fulica americana

Summary 5

The American Coot (Fulica americana) (a.k.a. mud hen) is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken to be ducks, American Coots belong to a distinct order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land. Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots...

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Jack Wolf, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfraven/3390640523/
  2. (c) Kevin Rolle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3354806987_a19f905076.jpg
  3. (c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=1132&one=T
  4. (c) Michael Rosenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/3701640099_b78045a0f5.jpg
  5. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulica_americana

More Info

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