Seattle wildlife by kayak
American Coots in Seattle: Paddle Alongside These Oddball Waterbirds
American coots are common, quirky, and easy to spot from a kayak on Seattle’s inland waterways, especially around Duck Bay, Union Bay, Portage Bay, and the Arboretum.
What Is an American Coot?
Paddling out from just about any launch spot around Seattle’s inland waterways in springtime, you are likely to encounter American coots. These plump, dusky black waterbirds are easy to recognize by their rounded heads, red eyes, and sloping white, chicken-like bills tipped in black.
They look and act a bit like ducks, dabbling and diving for food, but American coots are not ducks at all. They are more closely related to rails. Their feathers naturally repel water, allowing them to pop back up from a dive looking surprisingly fresh and dry.
Where to See American Coots by Kayak
Around Seattle, American coots are often seen swimming in groups just offshore. In some seasons, it is not unusual to see dozens — or even hundreds — rafted up together on calm water. Kayakers may encounter them around Portage Bay, Union Bay, Duck Bay, the Washington Park Arboretum, and other sheltered freshwater areas with aquatic vegetation.
If you see a coot standing on a log, dock edge, or shoreline, take a closer look at its legs and feet. American coots have erect, spiny yellow legs and large, lobed toes that look almost prehistoric. These unusual feet help them move through a world that combines shoreline climbing, floating vegetation, slow paddling, and short underwater dives.
Coots are not usually the flashiest birds on the lake, but they are one of the most reliable wildlife sightings for paddlers. Their steady presence is part of what makes a spring or early summer paddle in Seattle feel alive.
What American Coots Eat
American coots feed heavily on freshwater aquatic plants, which makes Seattle’s lakes and protected bays a good fit for them. They may even help keep some shoreline and riparian invasive plants, including Eurasian milfoil, in check.
They are not picky, though. Their diet can also include beetles, dragonflies, crustaceans, snails, tadpoles, salamanders, and other small aquatic creatures. Watch them closely from a kayak and you may see them dipping forward, diving briefly, or tugging vegetation from below the surface.
Paddle Near Coots Without Spooking the Flock
American coots are not as easily spooked as many other birds, but they do feed off one another’s energy. If one bird startles and takes off, the whole group may follow in a loud, splashing, raucous group takeoff.
That safety-in-numbers strategy helps protect them from predators such as eagles and hawks. But for paddlers, it is a good reminder not to steer directly into a flock. Give them room, glide past slowly, and enjoy their calmer behavior from a respectful distance.
Why Coots Make a Seattle Paddle More Wild
American coots may not get the same attention as bald eagles, great blue herons, or beavers, but they are part of the everyday wildlife fabric of Seattle’s inland waterways. Their odd feet, social flocks, diving behavior, and constant presence make them fun to watch from a kayak.
Paddling alongside American coots is also a reminder that urban waterways are real habitat. Portage Bay, Union Bay, Duck Bay, and the Arboretum are not just scenic backdrops; they are living ecosystems that deserve respect and protection.
See American Coots from the Water
Launch from Agua Verde Paddle Club and paddle quietly through Seattle’s inland waterways for a close look at American coots, herons, ducks, turtles, beavers, and other urban wildlife.