American Coot

coot with black feathers and white beak looking at the cameraThis coot arrived at Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation on April 24, 2018, weighing 480 grams. He sustained a trauma to the right side of the body, including a right corneal ulcer, a right radius fracture, and a right tibiotarsus fracture. His eye was treated with antibiotics, his wing with a wing wrap, and his leg is being treated with a shin-pad splint.

These birds are waders and like to walk along the shoreline and forage for food. In captivity, we normally give them a shorebird platter that they can walk through and pick out insects and plants. The splint makes it difficult for him to perform this natural behavior. To help maintain his weight, we have been tube feeding him EmerAid Intensive Care Omnivore three times a day. His current weight is 512 grams and his fractures are healing well. Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation anticipates he will make a full recovery and, once the splint is removed he can start to self-feed again.

Posted on August 16, 2018.