Observing American Coots: A Photographer’s Perspective

My friend and bird photographer, Mia McPherson, recently wrote a blog post asking “Do American Coots Behave Differently in Other Geographic Locations?” She and I have discussed these fascinating birds at length, noticing how their behavior seems to vary depending on the location.

Over the years, Mia has shared stunning photos of American Coots on her website, often depicting them fighting and eating small fish in Utah. This behavior contrasts starkly with what I’ve observed at my preferred wildlife photography location, the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Here, I only ever see American Coots swimming and eating underwater plants.

Intrigued by Mia’s photos, I dedicated more time to observing and photographing these birds at the refuge, hoping to capture similar behavior. Despite my efforts, I haven’t witnessed them fighting or eating fish.

Yesterday, March 3, 2024, I managed to capture a video and photo of a single American Coot at the refuge, as well as a video of a group swimming together. The group displayed a calm demeanor, with no fighting observed. Additionally, I documented the feeding behavior of one bird, confirming their preference for underwater plants.

While I may be spending a bit more time than usual focused on American Coots, I remain hopeful of witnessing them catching and eating fish someday.

It’s important to remember that American Coots are omnivorous birds with varied diets. Their primary food source consists of aquatic plants like algae, duckweed, eelgrass, and wild rice. However, they are also known to consume insects, crustaceans, snails, small vertebrates like fish and tadpoles, and even steal food from other birds. These birds are adept divers and can forage for food while walking, swimming, or submerged underwater. They certainly aren’t exclusively vegetarian.