Coot

Coots are medium-sized, crane-like birds that are members of the Rallidae (rail) family. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water. They are close relatives of the moorhen.

Coot in Supervolcano
When Rob Ferguson went bird-hunting in Guilford, Maine, he normally looked for ducks or geese on the water. On a few occasions he was hungry enough to shoot Coots but they took a long time to cook and were not tasty. Coot soup smelled especially nasty with possibly skunk smelling worse yet but Rob was not inclined to experiment.