Fulica americana                                                    Photo Chris Burney ©

American coots are common in Florida, especially in the winter when large rafts of these waterfowl can be seen on lakes. They are easily identified by their white bills and black body. Coots are noisy birds, often calling back and forth with a variety of clucks, creaks, cackles and harsh quacks.

Coots are expert swimmers, often seen in open water.  They feed like ducks, ducking their heads under the water’s surface, or dive to the bottom of lakes to feed on small fish, tadpoles or aquatic plants.

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