Yesterday, on a glorious morning in central Missouri, a friend and I visited Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, on the Missouri River floodplain. There we found that the spring waterfowl migration continues to build; northern shovelers, blue-winged teal and American white pelicans were especially common but American coot dominated the scene.
Easily identified by their dark-gray bodies, black heads and white bills, coot are highly gregarious during migrations, feeding in and out of shallow water. Consuming a wide variety of plants, seeds and invertebrates, they graze, dive or skim food from the surface; their distinctive head nodding as they glide across the water also aids identification. Since their meat is not favored by hunters, these members of the rail family tolerate close approach but, if disturbed, patter across the water to escape the threat.
Indeed, American coot migrate at night and are seldom observed in flight. While they are permanent residents in most States west of the Mississippi River (including Missouri), their numbers increase dramatically during migrations, when they congregate at favored staging areas. Their spring flocks at Eagle Bluffs generally peak in early-mid April but they seem to be ahead of schedule this year.
Easily identified by their dark-gray bodies, black heads and white bills, coot are highly gregarious during migrations, feeding in and out of shallow water. Consuming a wide variety of plants, seeds and invertebrates, they graze, dive or skim food from the surface; their distinctive head nodding as they glide across the water also aids identification. Since their meat is not favored by hunters, these members of the rail family tolerate close approach but, if disturbed, patter across the water to escape the threat.
Indeed, American coot migrate at night and are seldom observed in flight. While they are permanent residents in most States west of the Mississippi River (including Missouri), their numbers increase dramatically during migrations, when they congregate at favored staging areas. Their spring flocks at Eagle Bluffs generally peak in early-mid April but they seem to be ahead of schedule this year.
