American Coots at Old Reid in Clark County yesterday.
Sometimes when I watch them, I understand where the saying "Crazy as a Coot" comes from.
An excerpt from Wildlife Center of Texas:
"Some animal sayings make sense, “busy as a bee”; while others “she eats like a bird” couldn’t be further from the truth. Birds are gluttons since they must have the energy to sustain flight, so if she “ate like a bird”, she’d be quite round. Maybe the familiar saying, “crazy as a coot” has more to do with the dichotomy between the peaceful bird quietly paddling in the middle of the pond and the aggressive display as it runs over the water towards its target flapping its wings and screaming wildly. The Doctor Jekyll personality is relaxing to watch, but the occasional burst of Mr. Hyde is quite entertaining."
If you've never seen those big green feet, they look like they were borrowed from a cartoon character. Coots are fun to watch and they may be crazy, but I think they're pretty clever and fun regardless!
