# American Coot

Scientific name: Fulica americana

Bird group: [rail](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/rail)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/108/American-Coot

## Identification

The American coot (Fulica americana), also known as a mud hen or pouldeau, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken for ducks, American coots are only distantly related to ducks, belonging to a separate order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land. Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots are called covers or rafts.[citation needed] The oldest known coot lived to be 22 years old.

The American coot measures 34–43 cm (13–17 in) in length with a wingspan of 58 to 71 cm (23 to 28 in). Adults have a short, thick, white bill and white frontal shield, which usually has a reddish-brown spot near the top of the bill between the eyes. Males and females look alike, but females are smaller. Body mass in females ranges from 427 to 628 g (0.941 to 1.385 lb) and in males from 576 to 848 g (1.270 to 1.870 lb).[13][14][15] Juvenile birds have olive-brown crowns and a gray body. They become adult-colored around 4 months of age.

## Distribution and habitat

The American Coot is widespread in the Western 
Hemisphere including the West 
Indies (Raffaele and others 
1998). American Coot was 
combined with Caribbean Coot 
as the two species are now 
considered to be one species; 
the major difference between 
the two “species” is the color 
on the frontal shield above the 
bill (Chesser and others 2018). 
It is an uncommon breeder and 
a common winter visitor from 
North America in Puerto Rico 
(Oberle 2018), and on Vieques it 
is considered an extremely rare 
fall and winter visitor (Gemmill 
2015). The American Coot can be found in open freshwater 
areas with submergent vegetation 
(Raffaele and others 1998), 
such as lakes, ponds, and 
marshes (Oberle 2018). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 136 
records within 52 hexagons or 11 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 52 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 31 percent (16) 
of the hexagons, probable in 23 
percent (12), and possible in 40 
percent (21), while the species 
was observed in 6 percent (3) 
of the hexagons but without 
evidence of breeding (see map). 
Atlas findings indicated probable 
breeding on Culebra. American Coot distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.      99American Coot/Gallinazo Americano

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the American Coot 
breeds from March to June, and 
the nest is placed on the ground 
among vegetation, or even on 
fl oating vegetation (Raffaele 
and others 1998). Atlas results 
indicate that breeding occurs 
in almost every month and 
probably extends throughout 
the year, but small sample sizes 
make it difficult to generalize 
about breeding seasonality. 
However, breeding activity is 
relatively higher during the first 
period of the year particularly in February (see chart). In addition, 
atlas results also show that 
breeding habitat for this species 
is restricted to subtropical moist 
and subtropical dry forest life 
zones in the coastal lowlands. 
Results show that this species 
breeds in the lowlands within 
the subtropical moist (63 percent 
of the hexagons) and subtropical 
dry forest life zones (37 percent 
of the hexagons), whereas 
no evidence of breeding was 
found in subtropical wet and 
subtropical rain forest life zones 
(see table and map).

## Conservation

The American Coot is listed as a species of least concern by 
the IUCN (BirdLife International 
2016). However, locally, this 
species (known as Caribbean 
Coot) is listed as vulnerable 
(PRDNER 2015). In Puerto 
Rico, the American Coot has a 
protected habitat in land of 11 
percent or 127 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding 
was found for this species 
(1171 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_108_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_108_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.