Roadside America calls this "Big Coot." The Smithsonian gives it an alternate title of "Giant Coot."
Coots are aquatic birds in the rail family, with black feathers and white bills. Coots are sometimes called "mud hens."
This coot is about to take flight from the Ashby Trap Range. The statue is 10 feet tall, made of concrete and metal. It was built in 1992 by Steve Moran for Coots Unlimited, the local sportsmen's club.
The sculpture is a few feet southeast of Minnesota Highway 78, near Little Lake, at the Ashby Trap Range. It is plainly visible from the highway. There is a safe pull-off just north of Nelson Road.
The inscription is a wire sign attached to the front supports:
COOT
LA 9 2 AB