American Coot

American Coot

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American Coot, juvenile, 26 June 2004, Montezuma NWR, Seneca County, NY

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Sound
4. Range
5. Conservation Status
6. Other Names

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.

Cool Facts

• 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.

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.

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.

Sound

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

Range

Range Map

© 2003 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Summer Range

Breeds from British Columbia eastward to Atlantic Coast and southward to Central America and Caribbean.

Winter Range

Winters from northern United States southward, and northward in Canada along the coasts.

Conservation Status

Common and widespread. Hunted in many areas.

Other Names

Foulque d'Amérique (French)
Gallareta americana (Spanish)

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.