Bonxies are easy to tell apart from American Coot. Note the large size, white wing flashes and lack of white undertail coverts. And it's flying 400m out to sea. Actually it might well eat an American Coot if it got the chance, though that may not be a diagnostic field characteristic.
Great Skua, Brandon Point, 7th November 2014 (Michael O'Clery).
We would love to be showing full-frame, HD quality photos and video of the American Coot here, but instead you'll have to make do with this. With driving rain, wind, distance and a rather annoying habit of feeding in the inaccessible areas of Lough Gill, the American Coot has only been giving the most distant and unsatisfying of views since its discovery. A calm day and a fair degree of luck will be needed to get decent views.
