American Coot

American Coot

Fulica americana

Often mistaken for a duck, the American Coot is a common waterbird. Its all black body and white chicken-like beak distinguish this swimming rail from the real ducks.

Interesting Information

Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead of having all the toes connected by webs, each coot toe has lobes on the sides of each segment.
They are nicknamed "marsh hen" or "mud hen" because of they way their heads bob when they walk or swim.
A group of coots has many collective nouns, including a "codgery", "commotion", "fleet", "shoal", and "swarm" of coots.

Description

Adult Description

All black.
Swims and dives.
White bill with black mark near tip.
Bill triangular like a chicken's, not flat like a duck's.
White stripe on sides of undertail.
Length Range: 38 cm (15 in)
Weight: 726 g (25.6 oz)
Size: 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
Color Primary: Black, Gray, Sheen or Iridescence
Underparts: Black
Upperparts: Black
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Immature

Downy young with bald red head; immature similar to adult, but dull gray instead of black, with lighter face and chest.

Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide by David Allen Sibley

Habitat

Found on coastal bays and inlets, often occurring in large rafts during winter.

Behavior

Forages by tipping, diving from the surface, or walking along shorelines.

Food

American Coot: Feeds on plant materials, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, snails, worms, and sometimes bird eggs.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Subfamily:	Rallidae
Genus:	Fulica
Species:	Fulica americana
Subspecies:	Fulica americana americana
	Fulica americana columbiana
	Fulica americana peruviana

Similar Species

Pied-billed Grebe
Common Moorhen
Purple Gallinule
Sora
Eurasian Coot

Bird Sound

Calls scratchy clucking noises and series of "kuk-kuk-kuk" notes.

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution

Videos

American Coot

Up close and personal

	Sources Used To Construct This Page
	Brisbin, I. L., Jr., H. D. Pratt, and T. B. Mobray. 2002. American Coot (Fulica americana) and Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai). In The Birds of North America, No. 697 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

	All photos and videos © Rick Swartzentrover - Free for non-profit use.