Reconsider the Coot - The Reproductive Antics of a Common Marsh Denizen - Livestream

Coots are often overlooked by birders because they are so common. Dr. Bruce Lyon has been studying the reproductive antics of American coots for the past two decades and has discovered that there is far more to this bird than meets the eye. He will highlight some of his discoveries about the parental and reproductive strategies of coots and answer questions such as: Why do some coot females lay their eggs in the nests of other coot females? What do the birds that receive these unwanted foster eggs do? Coots are just as bizarre when it comes to raising their own kids, and there are many puzzling features of coot parental care behavior. For example, why do coots lay far more eggs than they can normally raise and why do they beat up their kids so much? And, finally, why are baby coots born with such a ridiculously fluorescent orange plumage?

Bruce Lyon is a professor of Evolutionary Ecology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Please register here: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTA2MTI5. The Zoom meeting link will be sent in the confirmation.