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.

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