Outlines for Scout Workers

Outlines for Scout Workers By Delbert W. Parratt, B. S.

XXVII — The American Coot 1. Give another name for the American coot. 2. To what general class of birds does he belong? 3. Describe a coot. 4. In what sort of places does he live. What is there about him to suggest this? 5. Upon what does the coot subsist and how does he obtain his food? 6. Where and of what does it build its nest? 7. Describe the eggs and tell the number to a setting. 8. What are the coot's enemies? 9. Of what use are the white under-tail patches? 10. Where are coots found in our valley in summer? In winter?

Mourn, sooty coots, and speckled teals; Ye fisher heron, watching eels; Ye duck and drake, wi' airy wheels Circling the lake; Ye bitterns, till the quagmire reels, Rair for his sake. —Robert Burns. The American Coot lives in muddy places and in conse- quence is often called the mud-hen. He belongs to the Rail family, several species of which are found in North America. He measures from fourteen to sixteen inches in length and is of

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a general slate color. His head and neck are very dark, but the edges of his wings, the tips of his secondary feathers, and the under-tail feathers are of contrastive white. His stout bill is also white but fades into bluish toward the end. Apeculiar brown spot marks the upper bill near its tip and one of like color is found directly under this on the lower bill. In common with other members of the Rail family, our coot has long legs with powerful thighs. These together with his remarkably long, lobed toes make him exceedingly expert in water, but correspondingly awkward on land. His wings are short, rounded, and somewhat hollow, thus limiting his flight to that of feeble character and short duration. Owing to this make-up the mud-hen, therefore, spends practically his entire time in water. A lake or quiet river densely surrounded by rushes or reeds, sluggish streams or muddy ponds are the usual abodes of our coot. He is not common on the Atlantic coast excepting in the more southern portions, but in the interior and on the prairie sloughs is found in great numbers. The food, consisting of wild grain, seeds, larvae of insects, fish spawn, snails, worms, and vegetable matter, is usually ob- tained under water. Sometimes the coot will sink, in grebe fash- ion, and then take long swims under water with the aid of both feet and wings. He is likewise an excellent surface swimmer. While making over the water he has the peculiar habit of bobbing his head in unison with his leg strokes. A large amount of gravel seems necessary to help digest the hard seeds swallowed by the coot and for this he is often obliged to leave the muddy regions of the lake. When rising from the surface, he flutters just above it, pattering along for a distance, his distended feet striking the water constantly, until sufficient momentum is gained to spring into air. The nest, made of loose rushes, is hidden close to the water. It is bulky and at times high water carries it down stream. The coot however remains with the nest until it becomes lodged in friendly reeds or rushes. Under normal conditions a runway of trodden-down rushes is built from the water to the nest and over this the nesting bird goes to and fro with but little hind- rance from standing reeds. In our valley the nest is built in May, June, or July. In it are laid from eight to fifteen eggs. These are yellowish white or buff sprinkled, especially around the larger ends, with brown- ish spots. After three weeks the mother bird leads her large family into the water. The little ones are clothed in dark down and from the outset are skillful swimmers. The young stay near their mother and hide under her wing

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at first shrill call of alarm from the guarding father. The princi- pal enemies for which he is constantly on the alert are duck hawks, snakes, weasels, and coyotes. The young soon leave their parents who then devote themselves to rearing a second brood. The coot is often seen in company with different varieties of ducks. In some instances they feed on grasses and the like the coot brings to the surface. During nesting season he is very jealous and will not permit alien swimmers in his neighborhood. Ordinarily coots are very timid and remain comparatively quiet during the day, but when night approaches they become braver and at times very noisy. Much of their feeding and swimming are done at night and in these they find it advantageous to associate in flocks. As they bob along over the water their short tails stick straight up, showing the patches of pure white on the under sides. These white patches, of course, are kept in con- stant bobbing motion and consequently serve admirably as sig- nals for the coots following behind, thus enabling the night wanderers to follow through the darkness with but little risk of getting lost from their leaders. In case of alarm, the tails drop, the white spots are covered, and all remain motionless. Coots range from Alaska to the West Indies and Central America. Their spring migrations occur usually in April and May and those of fall in September and October. Many come into and leave our valley at these times, but the greater number remain with us throughout the entire year.

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