The American Coot has a white bill that is long and pointed, its head is black, and it has grey-green legs. The bird is about 40 cm long with about a 75 cm wingspan.
Both sexes are similar, with a gray to black plumage overall and a black head with a bright red eye. The white bill along with the gray-green legs, the un-webbed feet, and a red spot at the top of the white frontlet make them very easy to identify.
The American coot is a popular resident of the semi-open water in marshes, lakes, and ponds, as well as in rivers with similar vegetation. These birds can be found year-round in the Pacific Northwest Coastal Region.
These are talkative birds that make a variety of sounds and short calls, including clicking and popping sounds.
American coots may feed at the surface or dip to reach food beneath the water, they can dive up to 10 meters deep to feed at the bottom. They eat mostly plant material, including stems, leaves, and seeds of pondweeds, grasses, and algae. They will also eat insects, tadpoles, fish, worms, snails, crayfish, prawns, and eggs of other birds.
When taking flight, they run along the surface of the water while flapping to gain enough speed for takeoff, like a goose.
These are monogamous birds that form pair bonds. They can lay up to 12 eggs and both parents will care for them, sharing the nest sitting. In about 4 weeks, the eggs hatch all at once and the young will leave the nest within a few hours. The young are cared for by both parents until they fledge. American coots will sometimes raise 2 broods a year.