{"id":50628,"date":"2018-01-10T06:41:46","date_gmt":"2018-01-10T13:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=50628"},"modified":"2025-10-08T15:47:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T20:47:40","slug":"photographing-an-american-coots-post-bathing-behavior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/01\/10\/photographing-an-american-coots-post-bathing-behavior\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographing An American Coot’s Post Bathing Behavior"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican Coot splashing during a bath – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

A few days ago I observed and photographed an American Coot bathing at the local pond while there was some decent light, the weather has been cruddy here again lately with plenty of fog, heavy clouds, and spotty rain showers so when there is good light I take advantage of it whenever I can.<\/p>\n

This image shows the coot while it was bathing in the clear, cold water of the pond.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Coot fluffing its wings after bathing – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Although I enjoyed photographing the coot while it bathed I relished the post bath behavior more because of all of the wing-flapping and shaking that occurred during the moments of time before the coot settled back down on the water.<\/p>\n

I have noticed that some of the coots give a quick shake then settle back down quickly after a bath while others seem to prolong shaking off the water longer.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Coot shaking its wings after taking a bath – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This coot seemed to prolong the shaking off after bathing behavior as it flapped its wings and shook its body. It raised its body and wings high a few times while shaking off…<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Coot with its wings spread after bathing – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Settled its body down on the water and completely spread its wings out…<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Coot post bath – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Before raising its body up to shake vigorously again. I had several great poses to pick from in my series of this coot’s behavior after taking its bath.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Coot with one wing raised after taking a bath – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the poses I photographed showed bilateral wing movement and some symmetry of those movements but not long before the coot settled back down onto the water it raised just one wing.<\/p>\n

I don’t know why it only raised the one wing but I thought it was an interesting photo.<\/p>\n

Perhaps I am easy to please but I got a real kick out of photographing this American Coot<\/span><\/a> while it bathed, shook, and fluffed on the pond close to home.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my American Coot photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps I am easy to please but I got a real kick out of photographing this American Coot while it bathed, shook and fluffed on the pond close to home. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":159570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137,27,709,26],"tags":[4010,5109,4373,4226,2772,2773,4438,4121,4588,10698,8301,8300,1984,4502,2688,5758,8018,3996,5498,373],"class_list":["post-50628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-coots","category-avian","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-american-coot","tag-bath","tag-bathing","tag-behavior","tag-coot","tag-coots","tag-fluffing","tag-fulica-americana","tag-gruiformes","tag-park","tag-photograph","tag-photographing","tag-pond","tag-shaking","tag-splashing","tag-sunny","tag-urban","tag-water","tag-wings","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-bathing-mia-mcpherson-3781.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-daA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50028,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/12\/22\/photographing-a-bathing-american-coot\/","url_meta":{"origin":50628,"position":0},"title":"Photographing a Bathing American Coot – TC On or TC Off?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I opted to leave my teleconverter on while photographing this bathing American Coot","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot shaking while taking a bath, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8154.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8154.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8154.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8154.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":77976,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/01\/18\/adult-american-coot-bathing\/","url_meta":{"origin":50628,"position":1},"title":"Adult American Coot Bathing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago I photographed this adult American Coot bathing on a sunny afternoon at a pond close to where I live in Salt Lake City.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult American Coot bathing in icy cold water, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-coot-adult-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8517.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-coot-adult-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8517.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-coot-adult-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8517.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/american-coot-adult-bathing-mia-mcpherson-8517.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49791,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/12\/12\/feisty-pugnacious-and-aggressive-why-i-enjoy-photographing-american-coots\/","url_meta":{"origin":50628,"position":2},"title":"Feisty, Pugnacious And Aggressive – Why I Enjoy Photographing American Coots","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"While observing American Coots I can see that they are feisty, pugnacious and aggressive in their behaviors and they don't seem to take any guff from each other.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot exhibiting patrolling behavior, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/American-coot-on-patrol-mia-mcpherson-2226.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/American-coot-on-patrol-mia-mcpherson-2226.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/American-coot-on-patrol-mia-mcpherson-2226.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/American-coot-on-patrol-mia-mcpherson-2226.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17041,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/15\/an-american-coot-munching-on-food\/","url_meta":{"origin":50628,"position":3},"title":"An American Coot Munching On Food","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"American Coots are common birds and some folks might find them fairly plain but I like them and enjoy photographing them too.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot munching on food, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/american-coot-eating-mia-mcpherson-6359.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/american-coot-eating-mia-mcpherson-6359.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/american-coot-eating-mia-mcpherson-6359.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/american-coot-eating-mia-mcpherson-6359.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55009,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/16\/charging-american-coot-portrait-communicating-by-posture\/","url_meta":{"origin":50628,"position":4},"title":"Charging American Coot Portrait – Communicating By Posture","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this American Coot in February when parts of my local pond were frozen which caused a restriction in the space where the coots, ducks, geese and grebes could feed and there were many territorial squabbles to photograph.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Charging American Coot portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-attack-posture-mia-mcpherson-3218.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43835,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/09\/winter-american-coots\/","url_meta":{"origin":50628,"position":5},"title":"Winter American Coots","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Photographing American Coots is a challenge because I want my exposure set bright enough so I can capture fine details in their dark plumage","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot head turn, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-winter-mia-mcpherson-8008.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-winter-mia-mcpherson-8008.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-winter-mia-mcpherson-8008.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-winter-mia-mcpherson-8008.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50628\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}