Nature Canada

Bird Tweet of the Week: American Coot

Image of an American Coot

Photo from Flickr, Isaac Sanchez

On land, this bird looks like a short plump crane with its long legs, yet they are actually wading birds that masquerade as ducks on the water. What species is it? That’s right – it’s the American Coot! The American Coot are able to find their food on both land and water, however they are Kleptoparasitism. This simply means that they are known to steal food already collected from other birds. Click on the clip above to learn more about this unique species!

Each week we introduce a new bird from the Ottawa-Gatineau area through our segment on CBC Radio’s In Town and Out. Alex MacDonald, Nature Canada’s Manager of Protected Areas, shares interesting facts about the birds that live in our communities. Be sure to tune-in to “Bird Tweet of the Week” on CBC Radio One 91.5 FM on Saturday mornings from 6am to 9am and listen to past episodes on our website.

This episode aired on Saturday, January 9th, 2016.

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