Bird Album
American Coot
Fulica americana Gmelin, JF, 1789
637 gWeight
The American coot (Fulica americana), also known as a mud hen or pouldeau, is a bird of the family Rallidae.
Busiest months: March–April · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: March–April · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
American Coot has been recorded at 1,140 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 46 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Sweetwater WetlandsUnited States34,906 records
- Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water RanchUnited States25,110 records
- Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States23,368 records
More places
- Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States19,703 records
- IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States18,258 records
- Prospect ParkUnited States16,895 records
- Hornsby BendUnited States15,789 records
- Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Ctr.United States14,604 records
- Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada14,072 records
- Willcox – Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf CourseUnited States13,125 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
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 to facilitate walking on dry land.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the American Coot?
The American Coot weighs around 637 g.
Where does the American Coot live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, South America: Alaska and Canada to Costa Rica, also northern South America. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the American Coot?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March and April (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the American Coot endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the American Coot as Least Concern.
What does the American Coot eat?
Main food: Aquatic plants.
What family is the American Coot in?
It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 637 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Aquatic plants
- Lifestyle
- On the water surface
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 183 mm
- Tail
- 51 mm
- Bill
- 37 mm
- Tarsus
- 55 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America, South America: Alaska and Canada to Costa Rica, also northern South America
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
- Genus
- Fulica
Other birds in the genus Fulica
Red-fronted CootFulica rufifrons
Horned CootFulica cornuta
Giant CootFulica gigantea
Red-gartered CootFulica armillata
Eurasian CootFulica atra
Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
Hawaiian CootFulica alai
Andean CootFulica ardesiaca
White-winged CootFulica leucoptera
Grey-throated RailCanirallus oculeus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by DigiBirdTrek. ↗
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