coot

 

common name for a migratory marsh bird related to rails and gallinules and found in North America and Europe. The American coot (Fulica americana), or mud hen, is slate gray with a white bill, black head and neck, and white wing edgings and tail patch. It has lobed toes and is a skillful swimmer and diver but takes flight awkwardly, pattering the water to gain impetus. It eats aquatic plants and insects. Gregarious except during breeding, the male broods eggs and chicks at night. The European species inhabits the northern regions; there are seven species in South America alone. Coots are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Gruiformes, family Rallidae.

Coots
Eurasian Coot
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae Genus: Fulica Linnaeus, 1758
Species
Fulica cristata Fulica atra Fulica alai Fulica americana Fulica caribaea Fulica leucoptera Fulica ardesiaca Fulica armillata Fulica rufifrons Fulica gigantea Fulica cornuta Fulica newtoni (extinct) For prehistoric species, see article text

The coots are medium-sized water birds which are members of the rail family. They constitute the genus Fulica.

The greatest species variety is in South America, and it is likely that the genus originated there.

These rails are all predominantly black in plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water rather than skulking in reedbeds.

They have prominent frontal shields or other decoration on the forehead, and coloured bills, and many, but not all, have white on the undertail. Like other rails, they have lobed toes.

They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers, although northern species are nevertheless capable of covering long distances; the American Coot has reached Great Britain and Ireland on rare occasions. Those species that migrate do so at night.

Coots can walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes that are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces.

These birds are omnivorous, taking mainly plant material, but also small animals and eggs. They are aggressively territorial during the breeding season, but are otherwise often found in sizeable flocks on the shallow vegetated lakes they prefer.

Species in taxonomic order

• Red-knobbed Coot, Fulica cristata
• Eurasian Coot, or Common Coot, Fulica atra
• Hawaiian Coot, Fulica alai
• American Coot, Fulica americana
• Caribbean Coot, Fulica caribaea
• White-winged Coot, Fulica leucoptera
• Andean Coot, Fulica ardesiaca
• Red-gartered Coot, Fulica armillata
• Red-fronted Coot, Fulica rufifrons
• Giant Coot, Fulica gigantea
• Horned Coot, Fulica cornuta
• Mascarene Coot, Fulica newtoni (extinct, c.1700)
• Chatham Island Coot, Fulica chathamensis (prehistoric)
• New Zealand Coot, Fulica prisca (prehistoric)
• Fulica infelix (fossil: Early Pliocene of Juntura, USA)
• Fulica shufeldti (fossil: Pleistocene of North America) - possibly a subspecies of Fulica americana; formerly F. minor

Photo gallery

Eurasian Coot on the Thames

Male protects brooding female on canal.

Coot on the lake.

References

• Rails by Taylor and van Perlo, ISBN 90-74345-20-4
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Crystallographic Object-Oriented Toolkit

External links

• Coot videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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