Instead, the coots take a running start across the water to become airborne. animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. She maintains this position while mating. "Fulica americana" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. "U.S. 1980. Coots may comprise approximately 80% of the bald eagle’s diet. (Other birds can take to flight when startled, even when previously standing still.) National Science Foundation They can fly 5 to 6 weeks after hatching and are fully independent after about 2 months (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980). Their lobed toes make coots powerful swimmers, especially in open water. 4.) offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) They are freshwater birds and live in the shallows of freshwater lakes, ponds or marshes, although they may be seen in brackish water occasionally. The body is grey with the head and neck darker than the rest of the body. They can fly 5 to 6 weeks after hatching and are fully independent after about 2 months. A close look at a coot—that small head, those scrawny legs—reveals a different kind of bird entirely. Eggs and nestlings are preyed upon by raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, snapping turtles, and many other small predators. Fulica americana is a social bird species that lives in flocks. On numerous occasions, I have seen them dive underwater repeatedly, popping up in different locations, making it hard for the predators to predict the coot's next move. Their dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the continent, and they often mix with ducks. The coots are the only members of the rail family to live in groups. The average lifespan of this bird is about nine years (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980). While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. Mammalian predators (including red foxes, coyotes, skunks and raccoons) are even less likely to predate coot nests, though nests are regularly destroyed in usurpation by muskrats. at http://www.csubak.edu/Fact/ESAAnimals.html. 8 Birds II, Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Western Edition, http://www.csubak.edu/Fact/ESAAnimals.html. The American coot is fairly aggressive in defense of its eggs and, in combination with their protected nesting habitat, undoubtedly helps reduce losses of eggs and young to all but the most determined and effective predators. Known Predators Contributor Galleries Predators Because the American coot’s nests are generally floating nests hidden among the reeds they are not as easily reached by land predators. gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate), Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia Vol. Accessed Grzimek, B. Coots negatively affect humans when they choose to nest on golf courses or parks and leave excrement behind (CSUB 1998). Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Both the male and female incubate the eggs, which means the parents take turns keeping the eggs warm until they hatch. young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. Search in feature The American coot is not endangered, nor is it threatened. The parents share the job of feeding and teaching their young, dividing the number of young between them. The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. Although they are related to the secretive rails, they swim in the open like ducks and walk about on shore, making themselves at home on golf courses and city park ponds. Fulica americana is about 38 cm long and during the winter will weigh up to almost 0.9 kg. Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. Convergent in birds. Disclaimer: Whether wintering in the south or spending the summer in the north, coots live along waterways. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends.