American Coots & Baby... Cootlings?
Coots are not ducks. That's probably one of the first lessons in waterfowl taxonomy you ought to learn. In fact, they're not even kind of sort of related to ducks. American Coots ( Fulica americana ) belong to the Rail family (Rallidae), along with rails (naturally) and gallinules. Going one taxonomic step above family, they belong to the order Gruiformes, which also includes the crane family. Ducks, geese and swans, however, are members of the order Anseriformes, quite a different branch of the avian family tree. So, the next time someone inquires about an all-black "duck" with a white bill and funny-looking feet, feel free to kindly share with them that the coot is not a duck at all, but actually more closely related to Sandhill Cranes ! ļ»æ Adult American Coot with two juveniles Because American Coots are terribly common birds on almost every body of water across nearly the entire North American continent, I pay them ve...