Ever wondered why Coots feet look rather different to the usual webbed feet?
Well lets find out.
Firstly, you can find Coots in still or slow moving freshwater.
It is a fully aquatic bird but can take to air when necessary.
Their toes have often been described to be in the form of scallops.
The lateral lobes provide effective swimming.
Their feet have a very clever mechanism when out of water & pottering around.
The lobes of the scallop form feet fold when they move forward on land, this mechanism prevents them from tripping.
A good way to explain this would be if you were to walk in a pair of flippers, it’s rather tricky to walk & almost clumsy. The folding lobes on the Coots feet help prevent that clumsy walk.
When traction is needed on land or water the lobes fold back out.
