Actually, I thought it was the other way around. I have watched numerous
Wigeon hounding coots as they surface with submerged vegetation that the
Wigeon can't dive for. Wigeon are notorious for this and are often referred
to as "poachers". They also follow other diving ducks around, but too a
lesser degree. On the Columbia River, wigeon home in on flocks of coots and
are relentless in their pursuit of coots.

I have never heard of coots robbing waterfowl.

On the Columbia River, Scaup and Redhead often form loose mixed flocks with
coots.

Jeff Kozma
Yakima


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Paulsen" <birdbooker at zipcon.net>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 2:19 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] coots


> HI:
> Coots are kleptoparasites of waterfowl (the coots steal food from
> waterfowl), so maybe that's why waterfowl tend to avoid them? There's
> nothing funnier in nature then a startled herd of coots running across a
> lawn trying to get back into the water!
>
>
> --
>
> Ian Paulsen
> Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
> A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
> "Rallidae all the way!"
> _______________________________________________
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> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
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>