After 46 years, it sometimes feels like we have seen it all… but our patients can still bring surprises! American Coot chicks are perhaps some of the oddest babies we get at Bird Rescue. They start out with fire-engine red and yellow head feathers and grow into a relatively drab, dark gray with black heads and white beaks.
These American Coot chicks came in at different times, as can be seen by their size difference. With a little luck, we are able to match orphans of the same species. None of this is unusual.
What is unusual is that whenever we add food to their enclosure, the larger baby coot takes it upon itself to FEED the younger one! Click the video above to see an adorable video clip.
Coots are in the shorebird family Rallidae, along with Gallinules and Rails, and develop into plump chicken-like birds that spend most of their lives on the water. They have remarkable greenish legs and large feet. Learn more: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot/id
Photos by Cheryl Reynolds
