This Bird Has Unique Feet That Look Like Feathers (11 Pics)

There are around 18,000 species of birds in the world. And we mostly know about the most popular ones. But this time let’s look at a unique bird that you’ve probably never heard of. It’s called a Coot and it’s too cool.

American Coot are common and widespread, and populations appear to be stable, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Because they live in wetlands, coots can accumulate toxins from pollution sources including agricultural runoff, industrial waste and nuclear facilities. Because coots are so common and widespread, scientists sometimes monitor them as a way of evaluating these problems in the environment at large. Why is it called a "coot"?