Sorry for the long absence of these posts. Its just that winter is long and birds are scarce. Some weeks may just not have a bird. I'll try to post them weekly. Anyway, this week's bird of the week is American Coot!
The American Coot is a about the size of a Hooded Merganser. It is completely black with a white bill and green legs with partially webbed feet. Only coots have feet like this. It allows them to swim like ducks while most other rails (their family) don't. They mainly eat aquatic plants, insects, and crustaceans.
The American Coot breeds in Canada and the Northern U.S and winters on the east coast. It is also resident over much of the country, Mexico, and the Caribbean. In New York City, this bird is only found from October through April and can be found in bodies of freshwater. The best place to look for this bird is the Central Park Reservoir, where lone or paired coots can usually be found on the south side swimming near the shore.
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