Though they will be abundant at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area within a few weeks, the first migrant coot of the season arrived on the Missouri floodplain refuge over the last two days; I counted 70 on the pools this morning.
Often mistaken for ducks, American coot are in the rail family and prefer reedy shallows where they feed in or out of the water; their diet consists primarily of aquatic plants and invertebrates which they snare from the surface or obtain by diving.
Though officially a permanent resident of Missouri, most of these chunky birds breed across the Northern Plains and Great Lakes region and winter across the southern U.S. Their numbers at Eagle Bluffs tend to peak in October and April as migrant flocks move through the Missouri River Valley. It was a pleasure to encounter them this morning, even though they will hardly warrant a glance when they dominate the refuge next month.
