coot definition (derogatory) An eccentric or crotchety person, especially an old man noun. 1. (colloquial) A stupid fellow; a simpleton. A silly coot.
Is the coot a duck?
While the American coot resembles a duck, it is not actually a duck species Coots have chicken-like beaks, legs, and feet. Both drake and hen coots are grey in color but appear black from a distance. Their beaks are white with a faint red strip near the tip.
Is a coot a bird?
The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Their tiny tail, short wings, and large feet are visible on the rare occasions they take flight.
Do coots fly?
Coots have strong legs and can walk and run vigorously. They tend to have short, rounded wings and are weak fliers , though northern species nevertheless can cover long distances.
What does it mean to call someone an old coot?
a foolish person, esp an old man (often in the phrase old coot).
What does Koot mean?
koot f (plural koten, diminutive kootje n ) (chiefly diminutive) Any one of the small bones that make up the toes or fingers, or an analogous bone in ungulates; a phalanx (dialectal) A joint.
Do coots taste good?
Coots are, in fact, delicious Even when prepared by an inexperienced cook, coots are still delicious.
Do bald eagles eat coots?
Duck hunters prefer coots to most kinds of duck. (Answer at end of column.) Bald eagles like this adult seen recently along Hwy. 26 south of Brownsville, Minn., often carry coots from the river to a tree on shore to feed on them.
Are coots friendly?
Usually in flocks, they are aggressive and noisy , making a wide variety of calls by day or night. They have strong legs and big feet with lobed toes, and coots fighting over territorial boundaries will rear up and attack each other with their feet.
Do coots make noise?
Calls. Although none of the vocalizations of American Coot can properly be considered a “song,” this is a highly vocal species that calls with a variety of grunting, croaking, and squawking noises The most common call is a short single-noted krrp or prik.
Do coots eat their babies?
Key Facts. Coots are aggressive birds, both to other species and their own kind; they have even been known to kill their own young , usually the youngest of the brood if they have too many to feed successfully.
What’s a baby coot called?
Coot chicks are black with orange fluff around the face and body; they are independent within two months of hatching.
Why do coots have weird feet?
The main purpose of the lobed toes is to help the bird run These feet are good for the American Coot for walking on top of vegetation in marshes and also on dry land when they’re looking for food items on the ground. In the water the American Coot uses their big feet to propel themselves through the water.
Can you hunt coots?
Many coots are killed by hunters bored by lack of action for other waterfowl. Coots can be hunted by design rather than accident, however, by scouting for flocks and boating into a position where you can hide and ambush them.
Is coot a vulgar?
Definitions include: an old woman, especially an unpleasant old woman.
What is a crazy old coot?
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English old coot American English informal an old man who you think is strange or unpleasant a miserable mean old coot → cootExamples from the Corpusold coot• Taking off your clothes for an old coot like him? • He’s a crazy old coot.
Where did the term Old coot come from?
It’s now used somewhat affectionately to mean “an elderly fellow.” COOT: If you’ve ever seen a coot, an ungainly marsh bird that bobs its head like a hen as it swims or walks, you can see why “coot” came to denote, by the 1700s, “a harmless, simple person,” as in “an old coot.”.
Why are coots not ducks?
Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water.
Are coots geese?
In California, American Coots are often found in large flocks or intermixed with ducks and geese on flooded rice fields or wetlands throughout the winter Despite their gregarious nature and close association with ducks, coots are not a waterfowl species.
Where are coots found?
American Coots are migratory birds native to the Nearctic region. During the summer, these birds are found centered around the freshwater lakes and ponds of the northern united states and southern Canada During the winter they head to the southern portion of the United States from California to Florida.
Why are coots feet so big?
Their large feet help to stabilize them on mud and marsh soil , where they occasionally feed. As omnivores, submerged vegetation, insects and fish eggs make up the bulk of their diet, but they’ve also been known to steal food from ducks!.
What do you call a group of coots?
Coots: cover. Cowbirds: corral, herd.
Where do coots nest?
Nest Placement Nests are almost always built over water on floating platforms and almost always associated with dense stands of living or dead vegetation such as reeds, cattails, bulrushes, sedges, and grasses. Occasionally, the nest may be built on the edge of a stand of vegetation, where it is clearly visible.
Do ducks like coots?
Interspecies aggression between coots and waterfowl usually occurs when ducks approach coot nests or broods (Ryan and Dinsmore 1979). Despite these interactions, the numbers of duck broods produced in areas in Utah with nesting coots and in areas where coots have been removed were similar (Ryder 1958, 1961).
Do coots eat fish?
Coots are omnivorous and feed mainly on vegetable matter such as shoots and seeds but they will also eat worms, leeches, snails, shrimps and insects. They may occasionally eat fish , small amphibians and small mammals.
What is slang for old lady?
elder, pensioner (slang), coffin-dodger (slang), elderly person, O.A.P. (British).
What does kooks mean in slang?
noun Slang. an eccentric, strange, or foolish person an insane person.
What is the female version of a codger?
People were actually eager to identify themselves as codgers, and several women wanted to know whether codgers could be females and, if so, whether you would call them “ codgerettes”.
What does it mean if something is moot?
Definition of moot (Entry 1 of 3) 1a : open to question : debatable b : subjected to discussion : disputed. 2 : deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely academic.
How do you spell coot the bird?
“ Coot” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coot.
Can you shoot coots in Texas?
Texas Migratory Game Bird Stamp Endorsement Required to hunt any migratory game bird (waterfowl, coot, rail, gallinule, snipe, dove, sandhill crane, and woodcock). A valid Federal Duck Stamp and HIP Certification are also required of waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older.
How do you butcher a coot?
Skin, don’t pluck, the coots you harvest, and place the meat on ice as soon as possible. Most hunters save only the breast meat, as the legs, wings and other parts are too puny to make them worth saving. Slice the skin over the coot’s breast, roll it back and lay off the two fillets with a sharp knife.
Where do coots migrate to?
Resident or medium-distance migrant. Populations in the northern half of North America migrate to the southern U.S. or Central America Populations in the West and Florida are year-round residents.
What is the largest bird in Texas?
The largest bird in Texas is the Whooping Crane Individuals can stand as high as 5 feet 3 inches, and average about 15 pounds. They are heavier and longer than both Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles, the next largest birds, and have comparable wingspans to eagles at 7 feet 6 inches.
Can an eagle pick up a goose?
While it’s not unheard of for a Bald Eagle to attack a goose in open water , says naturalist and Audubon Field Editor Kenn Kaufman, “[eagles] don’t seem to have very good success at catching [geese].
Will Hawks eat baby ducks?
A mature hawk can usually lift about five to 8 pounds – approximately two-thirds of its body weight. Ducklings, young ducks, and small duck breeds are all highly vulnerable to these deadly birds of prey It is illegal in almost all states to kill hawks.
Do coots dive?
An American coot feeds by diving for food in deeper waters or “tipping up” its tail and submerging its head underwater in shallow waters.
Where do coots go in the summer?
Geographic Range. Fulica americana, commonly known as the American coot, is a migratory bird. During the summer, these birds are found in freshwater lakes and ponds of the northern United States (New York and Massachusets) and southern Canada.
How do coots swim?
Coots swim using the lobed toes on their powerful feet , and when swimming they bob their heads back and forth with a “funky chicken” motion.
What is a coots diet?
The coot is an omnivore, and will take a variety of small live prey including the eggs of other water birds, as well as algae, vegetation, seeds and fruit It shows considerable variation in its feeding techniques, grazing on land or in the water.
Is coot a vulgar?
Definitions include: an old woman, especially an unpleasant old woman.
What does crazy as a coot mean?
(as) crazy as a coot Insane or eccentric Often used jocularly. Don’t leave me alone with Uncle Stu—he’s crazy as a coot! I know some of my students think I’m as crazy as a coot because of my weird methods. You’re as crazy as a coot if you believe this ridiculous scheme will work.
What do you call a crazy person?
• insane person (noun) lunatic, deranged person, maniac.
What is a crazy old coot?
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English old coot American English informal an old man who you think is strange or unpleasant a miserable mean old coot → cootExamples from the Corpusold coot• Taking off your clothes for an old coot like him? • He’s a crazy old coot.
Citations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coot
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_coot
https://www.birdspot.co.uk/bird-identification/coot
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-coot