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Coots are amusing and very familiar birds practically anywhere in North America were there is standing fresh or brackish water. Adults are plain gray-black with white bills . The baby coots below were following their parents in a small pond at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, near Escondido, California. They are quite similar to young of the closely-related northern moorhen. The bright colors on the heads of coot and moorhen chicks are believed to be signals of health and 'quality' that help the parents make decisions about food allocation among their offspring. The coots in the other images were at Bolsa Chica wetlands in coastal Orange County, at the Ssan Jacinto Wildlife Area, or in Palo Alto (all in California). |
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