Three stages of American Coots in Regina Saskatchewan

American Coots feature stunning contrasts as adults, with black heads, red eyes, and white bills. As babies, they are amazing — picture this: bald heads, bright orange-yellow feathers and red bills (or visit this page, which shows an American Coot with a baby in a Saskatchewan slough). And, as juveniles they are again different, with feathers of varying shades of gray.

Coots breed at a local lake, in Lakeridge Park near where I live in Regina, Saskatchewan, and when I dropped by with a group from Nature Regina to see what birds were there, three stages of American Coots swam by: An adult, a young juvenile, and a slightly older juvenile Coot.

Adult American Coot - a study in contrast, red, white, gray and black. © SB

 A Juvenile American Coot, whose head is starting to darken. © SB

A younger, smaller, paler, Juvenile American Coot.  © SB 

What are these? American Coots -  Foulque d'Amérique)

Location: Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan
Photo date: September 10, 2016.

~~~~~

American Coot: Big Foot on the Loose in Regina

These are seriously the feet and toes of an American Coot,
even though they strongly resemble the segments
of my Thanksgiving Cactus.   © SB

I had no idea that Big Foot was a bird — until I saw a young American Coot flap out of the water at a local Regina park.

At first, I thought pond weeds had been caught on its droopy, elongated, fat toes, but no, what I saw as greenery was in fact its green skin.

Coots are waterbirds, but not ducks, and so they don't have webbed feet. Instead, their feet are adapted to swimming with the addition of wide lobes of skin that act as toe flippers.

(And these big feet also, says All About Birds, support the Coots' weight on marshy ground.)

There were several American Coots of varying ages in the park, which is one of their local breeding spots in Regina, Saskatchewan. One black-feathered adult, a few darkish gray juvenile Coots, like this one, and a younger, smaller, light gray bird.

My thanks to the Nature Regina group I went bird watching with!)

What big floppy feet, you have, young American Coot!  © SB

Walking is easy, when you're well grounded. 
American Coot, Regina, SK  © SB

Young American Coot, Regina, SK. 
(When it gets older it will turn black. What a range of colours these birds have, 
including bright orange when very young!)  © SB

  

What is this? A young American Coot, showing off its awesome feet. (Foulque d'Amérique)

Location: Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan
Photo date: September 10, 2016.

~~~~~

American Coots in Saskatchewan Sloughs

Bright orange baby coot, in not-camo...   © SB

The first time I saw a very young American Coot swimming in a slough, I was astonished by its colour.

The bright yellow, orange and red feathers, beak and skin of this water bird are exactly the opposite of camouflage...

And I wondered: Does its discreet black and white parent need these vibrant colours to find it?

Even at a slightly older age, these young birds look bizarrely speckled and tufted.

(The tufts are perhaps because its feathers are ever-so-slightly matted by the algae and other stuff typically found in slough water...)

The adults, in contrast, are sedately attired... although their behaviour is somewhat less that sedate. (Hence the term, silly old coot.)

Beautiful birds, all the same.

Adult and young American Coot  © SB

Grumpy-looking baby Coot  © SB

Slightly older, still young, Coot. © SB

Is this adult American Coot (could it be?) smiling at me? © SB

What are these birds? American Coots — Foulque d'Amérique — adult and young.

Location: Various sloughs and wetlands in Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Photo date:  Summer 2012 and 2013.

~~~~~