Aug 13, 2018 · With a duck-ish head, a body shaped like a chicken, and a pointy beak to match, the American Coot looks like the most impractical mash-up of birds—and that’s just in the water. On land, you can see another part of its wacky appearance: those feet.

The American coot (Fulica americana), also known as a mud hen or pouldeau, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken for ducks, American coots are only distantly related to ducks, belonging to a separate order.

Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica, the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water.

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.

Jan 11, 2025 · The coot spends time on water diving or dabbling for food. But it also spends time in grassy areas such as lawns, parks and golf courses. It uses its strange-looking feet to help become airborne when it flies: To take off, it runs across the water’s surface for a long distance, splashing and flapping its wings furiously.

Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground.

Feb 5, 2024 · American Coots have partial webbed feet. Their long toes are connected by lobes of skin called interdigital membranes. However, unlike ducks which have fully webbed feet, coots have indentations between their toes which are not connected by webbing. This gives their feet a scalloped appearance.

The American coot (Fulica americana) is a bird commonly mistaken for ducks. It is only distantly related to ducks and belongs to a separate 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.

A coot's feet are perfectly designed to cope with a life on both dry land and water, says Stuart Blackman

Nov 27, 2017 · Although coots swim like ducks, they don’t have webbed feet. Each of the coot’s toes has large flaps of skin that act like flippers. They fold back whenever the coot raises its leg so they don’t trip the bird while it’s walking.