Killer Koots

At first glance, American Coots are just kind of goofy, fat bumbly birds with funny toes that we get past as quickly as possible in the search for “better” birds out on the water.

But watch ‘em for a while and you’ll discover that this drab plumage conceals some real avian personality. And not necessarily the kind of personality you want to get too close to.

Both American and European Coots are notably fractious, their constant clucking and groaning often accompanying some earnest efforts to inflict real harm on their conspecifics–sometimes going so far as to commit the evolutionarily suspect crime of infanticide.

“Talons” locked and red eyes ablaze, the pair above went at it violently for a quarter hour before one was finally able to slink away. I stood safely on shore, but I can certainly understand the wary look in the eye of the American Wigeon looking on.

You can see a short and shaky video by clicking on the photo below. Other coots, like curious schoolkids, come in to watch–and then hightail it, with discretion and dispatch, to safer waters.