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American Coot

American Coot line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

American Coot line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The American Coot was completed on 1.5.2012. It is the 2nd drawing of the new year and better than the previous one, I'm glad to say. In a bizarre way, when I'm out walking or hiking if I see an animal I haven't drawn, it compels me to return to the drawing board and crank out an illustration immediately. For years I've seen coots in the estuaries, lakes and bays of San Francisco area and I've finally gotten around to drawing one. The image is based on a photo by Phil Brown.

Information about the American Coot:

The American Coot is a member of the family Rallidae - which are small to medium sized birds, usually associated with lakes, marshes and other wetlands. This family includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules. They are a very widespread family of birds inhabiting nearly every climate on the earth. American Coots usually measure about 13–17 inches (34–43 cm)in length and have a wingspan of roughly 23-29 inches (58–71 cm) They are found throughout much of North America, down through Central and into South America. They are largely migratory, although that behavior has been in decline and more birds winter year round in some locations. While not the strongest fliers, they do have great endurance and are sometimes found thousands of miles from their native regions, sometimes reaching Europe and even Tasmania. They have large, comical looking feet like other species of their family which are highly adapted to their environments in the marshes, where they can use them to walk across vegetation on the surface.