An American Coot Visits Essex

ESSEX, CT — Essex docks, in downtown Essex had an interesting visitor recently; an American Coot.

Can’t say I have ever seen this bird before, but maybe you have. Normally they travel in flocks of up to 1,000, but this poor fellow was on his own trying to commiserate with the area ducks.

Reportedly, flocks of American Coots are a usual sight in the neighboring town of Old Saybrook, on the causeway, but their presence in Essex is a bit unusual.

American Coots, also known as a mud hen are commonly mistaken for ducks, however, they are only distantly related to water birds and are closer relatives of the Sandhill Crane. The Coots’ dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the continent. But, they do not have webbed feet to help them swim, like ducks, instead, each one of the Coots’ unusually long, lizard-like toes, has broad lobes of skin on it that help them kick through the water, as well as support the bird’s weight on the mucky, muddy ground.

Next time you are down at the docks, look for this guy, he is an interesting fellow and a different visitor to the usual flocks of seagulls, ducks and geese.

Thanks, Photographer Richard Spearrin for catching this unusual guest on camera.