American Coot

Fulica americanaOrder: GRUIFORMES Family: Rails and Coots (Rallidae)

Codes: Common Name: AMCO Scientific Name: FULAME ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176292

Breeding Location:

Marshes, freshwater, Swamps

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Common to abundant

Egg Color:

Pink to buff marked with black and brown

Number of Eggs:

2 - 12

Incubation Days:

21 - 25

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Lined with fine material., Made of dead stems.

Migration:

Migratory

General

American Coot: Medium-sized, chicken-like swimming bird, dark gray to black overall except for short, white bill and undertail coverts. Toes are lobed, not webbed. Upper edge of frontal shield is red, but usually only visible at close range. A few varients have have white frontal shields. Sexes are similar. Juveniles are paler and have duller bill.

Range and Habitat

American Coot: Breeds from British Columbia, western Canada, and New York locally southward. Usually spends winters north to British Columbia, Kansas, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Preferred habitats include open ponds and marshes. Found on coastal bays and inlets, often occurring in large rafts during winter.

Breeding and Nesting

American Coot: Two to twelve black and brown marked, pink to buff eggs are laid on a shallow platform of dead leaves and stems, usually on water but anchored to a clump of reeds. Incubation ranges from 21 to 25 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

American Coot: Feeds on plant materials, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, snails, worms, and sometimes bird eggs; forages by tipping, diving from the surface, or walking along shorelines.

Vocalization

American Coot: Emits a variety of clucks, cackles, grunts, and other harsh notes, some rather eerie. One of the "jungle bird" calls used in old Tarzan movies.

Similar Species

American Coot: Common Moorhen has a red bill with a yellow tip, white stripe along the flanks, and brown back.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

American Coot

American Coot: Medium-sized, chicken-like swimming bird, dark gray to black overall, short, white bill and undertail coverts. Toes are lobed, not webbed. Upper edge of frontal shield is red, but usually only visible at close range. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats, feet protrude past tail.

● Song: "ke-yik", "k-rrk"

● Foraging & Feeding: American Coot: Feeds on plant materials, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, snails, worms, and sometimes bird eggs; forages by tipping, diving from the surface, or walking along shorelines.

● Breeding & nesting: American Coot: Two to twelve black and brown marked, pink to buff eggs are laid on a shallow platform of dead leaves and stems, usually on water but anchored to a clump of reeds. Incubation ranges from 21 to 25 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: American Coot: Common Moorhen has a red bill with a yellow tip, white stripe along the flanks, and brown back.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats., Feet protrude beyond tail.

● Range & Habitat: American Coot: Breeds from British Columbia, western Canada, and New York locally southward. Usually spends winters north to British Columbia, Kansas, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Preferred habitats include open ponds and marshes. Found on coastal bays and inlets, often occurring in large rafts during winter.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationCommon to abundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight25.6 Ounces

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Frontal shield

The area where the bill extends onto the forehead of the bird. It is often brightly colored and is meant to grab the attention of other birds.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

American Coot

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

American Coot

Flight Pattern