American Coots are plump, slate-gray waterbirds distinguished by a short, thick white bill and greenish, lobed toes rather than webbed feet. In Arizona, they are abundant winter visitors on virtually all freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and marshes—often gathering in rafts of hundreds to thousands from November through March. As spring advances, most birds depart northward, but a small number remain to breed in high-elevation wetlands along the Mogollon Rim and other mountain marshes, where pairs build floating nests among emergent vegetation and lay 8–12 eggs per clutch (Wikipedia, Audubon). American Coots forage by diving or dabbling for aquatic vegetation—especially algae and pondweeds—and will also take invertebrates, mollusks, and small fish when available, making them versatile feeders and a familiar sight to Arizona birders year-round.
