American Coot- An Bird Name That Leads Many to Smile

American Coot Fulica americana
The American Coot is a common species in both remote natural wetlands and in many city park ponds. A slang term in the U.S. is to call someone an "old coot" which can mean many different things, but is usually used in a friendly playful way to tease someone. I might say to a friend, "We're just a couple of old coots taking a walk." Or say when we see a longtime friend, "What's that old coot doing here today?"
Anyway, when I point out an American Coot to a non-birder they often ask if that is really the bird's real name. They know about the slang use of the term, but not of the real bird.

American Coots nest in a reed built nest often in a thicket of cattails as youcan see in this case. Coots are not closely related to ducks or geese, rather they are in the family of rails, and are the most aquatic of the rails, and the most commonly seen. Most other rails are very secretive and are really hard to see.
Ameerican coots are largely vegetarian, and eat a wide variety of plants including various pond weeds and grasses. They lay large clutches of eggs, usually between 8-12 eggs, and baby coots are born precocial, and by 6 hours of age are bouyant, able to climb out of the nest and swim. Coots can live to at least 22 years old, but survival is less than 50% per year for both juvenile and adult coots.
Maybe if you see an American Coot, you can make a joke with a friend about being an "old coot."
Good birding.