We went to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to see my mom and sisters for the holidays. We took my daughter down to feed the birds.
There were seagulls and American coots, a species I’d never heard of. It was quite the feeding frenzy.
The American coots are seen in the wetlands in the southern United States. They are actually fascinating critters. They mate for life, and build nests that float. Sometimes, mothers will lay eggs in another’s nest, a behavior known as brood parasite.
The seagulls seemed particularly aggressive. We thought they might take some of the bread from our hands.
My mom said there are two pelicans, the state bird of Louisiana (and fountain pen mascot), who have been hanging around Lake Charles.
Pelicans are hypercarnivores, meaning they exclusively eat meat. Unfortunately, because we only had bread, they were unable to partake of our food.
After watching the frenzied gulls and coots, he decided to fly away.
Wonderful photos! The coots have the most awesome feet, too. Just huge, so they can walk on lilypads and swampy areas. I love birds~!