They are streamlined. The wings are as sharp looking as a penguin s, and you can hear their power. It is not the wild flapping they do when they squabble on the pond. This is what I call them. And it goes on all the time.
Coots spend most of their time defending and invading territories.
Duck political behavior is a never ending activity. Usually it is a quick event, a peck, or even just a gesture along with the duck equivalent of a growl. The hubbub behind me, though, was going on too long. I turned in time to see a hawk had pinned a coot to the ground near the edge of the adjacent pond. The whole scene became instantly clear in my mind, even before I took my first step.