Macro Monday: the feet of the American coot

Paddle feet / lobbed toes of an American coot

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Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

At first sight, the American coot looks like a duck. It’s shaped like a duck, including its head and bill. It spends a lot of time on the water, and it hangs around other ducks. But the American coot is actually a hen, and the dead giveaway is the absence of webbed feet.

Macro Monday: the American coot
Macro Monday: the American coot

Now, if you ask me, this bird looks nothing like a hen, even with non-webbed feet. I’ll let you take a closer look at the feet of the American coot. Technically, they have “lobbed toes”, which allow them to not only swim but also walk well on uneven ground.

Paddle feet / lobbed toes of an American coot
Paddle feet / lobbed toes of an American coot

To me, the American coot looks like it has paddle feet so it can be good at swimming and walking. Can you imagine if your toes were shaped like this?

Close-up of the lobbed toes of an American coot
Close-up of the lobbed toes of an American coot

Comments

6 responses to “Macro Monday: the feet of the American coot”

  1. Carrie Rubin Avatar

    As always, you’re teaching me new things! I never even knew this creature existed. Pretty cool, though I must say, those feet aren’t the prettiest. They look like shed snake skin!

    1. mpejovic Avatar

      You don’t have any coots where you live? Their feet really show you that birds are descendants of reptiles, don’t they?

      1. Carrie Rubin Avatar

        Very much so. I don’t know if we have any here or not, but if we do, the first thing I’m going to do is petition to change that name. 😉

        1. mpejovic Avatar

          Well, when you look at them, you understand why they’re called coots. They’re really weird looking. Or maybe that’s why we use coot for people, when they’re weird.

  2. Cee Neuner Avatar

    Great close ups!

    1. mpejovic Avatar

      Thank you very much, Cee!

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