Photo by Ethan Denton, Injured American Coot, Policeman’s Creek, Canmore, November 5, 2017. The bird came almost out into the open. Drat. There are lots of juvenile birds being fed out there right now! Whether it’s just for a few hours, or if you have a day or more, visiting the valley is an unforgettable experience. Coots are excellent swimmers even though they do not have webbed toes. If you’ve never seen baby American Coots, you’re in for a surprise. Both drake and hen coots are grey in color but appear black from a distance. Finally, there was some movement in the grass, and there was the Sora! Photo by Tony LePrieur. Photo by Tony LePrieur. Black-backed Woodpecker, Fish Creek Provincial Park, November 2017. American Coot, Carburn Park, November 2017. Birds & Beers is a social get-together open to any interested birders. Soras almost always seem to keep some vegetation between themselves and the camera. They are members of the family Rallidae , genus f ulica , which comes from the Latin word for “coot”, in this case the species is americana . Lee Foote, a wildlife biologist at the University of Alberta, tells me he has a lifelong relationship with American coots, having grown up with them in the southern United States. Due to Covid-19, Birds & Beers events have been cancelled. Personalized birding and wildlife tours in southern Alberta, led by Daniel Arndt. Park on the east side of Edgebrook Boulevard NW. 1 CA-AB 55.08888, -118.96558, Grande Prairie These birds are waders and like to walk along the shoreline and forage for food. Carburn Park and Fish Creek Park, November 2017, Sunday Showcase: Baby Birds, Summer Adults, U of C Peregrine Falcons, 1995-2015 (pdf). American Coot. It turned out that there were many Red-winged Blackbirds, both male and female, and they were engaged in courtship behaviour and nest-building. Last week, I, along with many other keen birders, did the Calgary and area May Species Count. Here are some of Tony LePrieur’s photos taken in some local parks this month. In the early 1900s, wetland loss and overhunting were thought to have led to significant population declines, but the population has since recovered and is increasing. He sustained a trauma to the right side of the body, including a right corneal ulcer, a right radius fracture, and a right tibiotarsus fracture. American Coot Images, Facts and Information: Fulica americana American Coots are chunky chicken-like birds with dark to black bodies, red eyes, white bills with a dark ring, and long greenish yellow legs with long toes. Their tiny tail, short wings, and large feet are visible on the rare occasions they take flight. On my way back to the parking lot, I noticed a small plump rodent scurry into the bushes. It was a Vole, probably a Meadow Vole. If you have time, visiting the area would be a great idea. Highly digestible nutrition for helping dogs recovering from critical illness or with chronic medical problems. Recently, hotspots in Banff and especially Canmore have been heaving with birds, from late a Red-tailed Hawk and American Coots to a plethora of Rusty Blackbirds and Common Redpolls. In captivity, we normally give them a shorebird platter that they can walk through and pick out insects and plants. The easiest way to tell the sex of a coot is its voice. EmerAid System for Exotic Animal Critical Care, Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, Emeraid Feeding Guidelines for Exotics & Wildlife Patients, EmerAid Feeding Protocols For Starving Or Emaciated Seabirds. The waterborne American Coot is one good reminder that not everything that floats is a duck. American Coot (Fulica americana) The American Coot breeds from British Columbia to Ontario, with the highest densities in the Prairie provinces. Trumpeter Swans, Fish Creek Provincial Park, November 2017. Photo by Ethan Denton. Despite this, they are closer relatives of the Long-legged sandhill crane and the almost invisible rails than of … I have also eaten a lot of ducks. Main hotspots are Policeman’s Creek (Canmore) and the Cave and Basin (Banff), but birds turn up anywhere, so check out some other locations on eBird or the local Facebook group, Bow Valley Birding. See this post for guidelines. A close look at a coot—that small head, those scrawny legs—reveals a different kind of bird entirely. American Coots can be found Their dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the continent, and they often mix with ducks. Great Horned Owl, Fish Creek Provincial Park, November 2017. More fantastic photos sent to us by Rob English. We meet regularly at the Royal Canadian Legion at 9202 Horton Road SW in Calgary, from 6 to 9 pm. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land. Photo by Tony LePrieur. A breeding American Coot didn’t like them around and repeatedly emerged from the rushes to chase them off. Afterwards, there’s a big potluck in the senior’s centre in Banff, where we talk about the day, tally up the results and enjoy fabulous food! Finally, if you are looking for a way to spend a Saturday helping birds and bird research, the Banff/Canmore Christmas Bird Count is coming up, on Saturday December 16th. Soras are small waterbirds in the rail family, who spend a lot of time hiding in the reeds. They look so unlike the males that at first it seems to be a different species altogether. A close-up showing what the coot was feeding on, Carburn Park, November 2017. Website: Nature hikes in the Calgary area, Kananaskis, and the mountain National Parks, led by John McFaul and Julia Millen. Despite missing out on the Sora, I continued to the second pond, where last year I had found a Pied-billed Grebe. Leave a comment on the blog, or email us and we'll be happy to help! Every time the first of these comes into view in the spring, I briefly believe that I have discovered a bird unknown to science. Male Red-winged Blackbird feeding juvenile. Yellow-headed Blackbird feeding juvenile. Common Goldeneye, Policeman’s Creek, Canmore, November 5, 2017. Though it is not birded by many people, the Bow Valley – Banff, Canmore and area – can be an amazing place to bird. Other possible vagrant coot species that have been reported are the Caribbean Coot and the Eurasian Coot. Coots frequently bob their heads when swimming or walking. Hunting for Dinner: Making Coot Edible (and a Recipe for Coot Cotechino) Posted in Out & About on Tue, 12/10/2013 - 11:01am by Jamie Carlson - I have been duck hunting for almost 30 years, and in that time I have shot a lot of ducks. The pictures below are from that second trip. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land. The American Coot has webbed toes rather than webbed feet like a duck, yet it is an excellent swimmer and diver. 704029 Range Road 72, Grande Prairie County No. As I finished up the circuit, I heard the hair-raising whinny of a Sora coming from a corner of the pond. About two-thirds the size of a Mallard. This Sora specialty is one of my favourites, because it sounds like demented laughter. To see more of Tony’s photos, go to his Flickr page. Send them to our email address and we may post them. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) information indicates coots breed most commonly in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Dakotas, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. We saw many great birds, some of the highlights being 2 Hooded Mergansers, a Western Grebe, a Ferruginous Hawk, a Veery, a Blackpoll Warbler and a Townsend’s Solitaire. Last week I returned to the ponds, with camera in hand, to try to get a picture of the Sora. Although now widespread and abundant, the American coot suffered huge declines during the late 18th century and the early 19th century due to hunting and loss of wetland in its main breeding areas in the mid-west of the United States and in east-central Canada. Their beaks are white with a faint red strip near the tip.