American coot - alone?

An Individual American Coot at Munson Pond, Kelowna.  Feb 14, 2026.
Inset:  a group of coots I photographed in 2012 (location unknown).

American coots are highly social birds.  Whenever I see one, I know there are others nearby.  What I found in this case, though, was that it was alone.  Now, I can't prove that, as others may have been hiding in the nearby clutter of overhanging branches, but it still was, in my mind, unusual.

It turns out that coots do migrate in groups, but not necessarily with others of the same species.  Coots may hitch a ride with ducks or geese that are migrating, both to and from their breeding area.  Another possibility is that this individual may not have migrated at all.  Coots are known to stay in the Okanagan Valley throughout the year.  Given the mild winter we have had, this is a very plausible explanation.  They like open water, so the pond where I found them wouldn't have been an option as it was frozen over just a few weeks ago.

Another thing to consider is the early time of the year when I saw it.  They often don't migrate until later in the season, which lends credence to the idea that it was a resident.  Geese, mallards, and goldeneyes have been here all winter.  It wouldn't be much of a stretch to consider a few coots being around them too.

The likely explanation then is that this solo bird either migrated with some others or has been a year-round resident that has recently moved to the pond.  If other coots were around, I certainly didn't see them.  It is the earliest I have ever seen a coot anywhere in Canada, except for the Lower Mainland.  They are year-round residents there.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com