Facts

Here are some interesting facts you probably didn't know, not that the American Coot is not interesting all on its own.

If American Coots do not feel like hunting or foraging for their own food they will steal food from other birds or the nests of other birds.
American Coots are nicknamed "Marsh Hens" or "Mud Hens" because of the way they bob their head when they walk.
(To check out how the American Coot walks check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX5odwqtazc)
The young American Coots look nothing like the adult Coots because of their yellow-orange plumage and bald red head.
During the winter large groups of American Coots may congregate together. These groups are called covers or rafts.
The Cajun word for Coot is pouldeau, from the French word for Coot which is poule d'eau, which stands for "water hen."
American Coot is a popular bird to cook by duck hunters.
Foxes, coyotes, skunks, crows, owls, eagles, alligators, gulls, and many more are predators to the American Coot either by taking the eggs or attacking the adults and juveniles.
American Coots can propel themselves through the water with the use of their lobed toes and bobbing of their head.
For a look at how the American Coot moves through the water check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN4d8KMIwJI