American Beaver
It may be surprising to some that a big city like Seattle could host a healthy population of wild beavers. But indeed it’s true — North America’s largest living rodents love the freshwater and shoreline access all around Seattle, and they have been living here at least since the end of the last ice age.
Wood Duck
You’ll see a lot of waterfowl out on Seattle’s inland waterways, but perhaps none as striking as the Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). Males are indeed distinguished by regal coloration — iridescent green, blue, and purple feathers are offset by white racing stripes and red eyes. While you won’t miss one of these males if they
Focus on Wildlife: American Coot
Paddling out from any launch spot around Seattle’s inland waterways in springtime, you’ll likely encounter dozens of American coots. These plump, dusky black waterbirds are distinguished by their rounded heads with red eyes and sloping white chicken-like bills tipped in a ring of black. They look and act like ducks — both dabbling and diving
