| Coots, the only Florida birds with white bills, often gather in very large flocks. |  |
| They feed primarily on aquatic vegetation and fish and sometimes steal plants from ducks. |  |
| They appear ducklike in the water, but are actually shaped more like a chicken. Rather than webbed feet, their toes are widely lobed, serving them both in the water and on the mud. |  |
| Coots have to get a running start to become airborne |  |
 What began as courtship -- the male swimming toward the female with his head and neck extended on the water -- quickly turned into a high-speed chase. |
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