By Allison Bridgman
Geographic Range
Fulica americana, commonly known as the American coot, is a migratory bird. During the summer, these birds are found in freshwater lakes and ponds of the northern United States (New York and Massachusets) and southern Canada. During winter, they head to the southern portion of the United States and are found from California to Florida. Fulica americana lives mostly within the boundaries of the contiguous United States, but individuals have been found as far away as Alaska and South America (Halsey 1990; Terres 1980; Udvardy 1994).
Habitat
Whether wintering in the south or spending the summer in the north, coots live along waterways. They are freshwater birds and live in the shallows of freshwater lakes, ponds or marshes, although they may be seen in brackish water occasionally. They have also been found living in the manmade ponds of parks or golf courses (CSUB website 1998; Terres 1980).
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
temperate 
; freshwater .
Aquatic Biomes:
lakes and ponds.
Wetlands: marsh .
Physical Description
(31.68 oz)
(14.96 in)
(22.83 to 27.95 in)
Fulica americana is about 38 cm long and during the winter will weigh up to almost 0.9 kg. They have a wingspan of 58 to 71 cm. Their feathers are dark grey, with a white patch under the tail. The bill is also white, with a red swelling along the upper edge. Their lobed toes make coots powerful swimmers, especially in open water. Though capable of flight, coots have short, rounded wings which make it difficult to take off. Once in the air, coots can fly as well as any other bird (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980; Udvardy 1994).
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: sexes alike.
Reproduction
Mating begins in May or June.
Breeding occurs in May through June.
When it becomes time for the coot to mate (usually around May and June), the process begins with great show. Both sexes start out displaying themselves in front of the other. They call to one another, while splashing about. The mating process begins on the water and ends on the land. The female coot assumes a submissive posture (crouched with head down) as an invitation to the male for sex. She maintains this position while mating.
Both the male and female care for the eggs and the young. They work together to build a nest that is about 35 cm across. These nests are located at the edge of the reed cover at the edge of the pond. All nests have a ramp that leads into the water, so the young have easier access when coming and going from the nest. The female lays 8 to 10 eggs at a time. The eggs are a pink color with brown spots. Both the male and female take turns keeping the eggs incubated until they hatch in about 23 days.
The young look like the adults, except they are lighter in color. The parents share the job of feeding and teaching their young, dividing the number of young between them. After one month, the young can dive for their own food. They can fly 5 to 6 weeks after hatching and are fully independent after about 2 months (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980).
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous .
Both the male and female incubate the eggs, which means the parents take turns keeping the eggs warm until they hatch. The eggs hatch about 23 days after the female lays them. The young look like the adults, except they are lighter in color. Both parents share the job of feeding and teaching their young, dividing the number of chicks between them. After one month, the young can dive underwater for their own food. They can fly 5 to 6 weeks after hatching and are fully independent after about 2 months.
Parental investment:
altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care .
Lifespan/Longevity
The average lifespan is 9 years.
Behavior
Fulica americana is a social bird species that lives in flocks. The coots are the only members of the rail family to live in groups. They can make a wide variety of noises, from grunting to clucking, as a means of communication, between each other and to threatening predators. There are two times a coot will splash: during mating season to attract attention and to discourage predators. The osprey (a type of hawk) is the main coot predator. Since F. americana is more adapted to life in the water than other birds, they cannot take off with a "dead start". (Other birds can take to flight when startled, even when previously standing still.) Instead, the coots take a running start across the water to become airborne. They are migratory, and migrate as a flock. Their migration, though, is based on the weather and therefore highly irregular (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980; Udvardy 1994).
Communication and Perception
American Coots can make a wide variety of noises, from grunting to clucking, as a means of communication, between each other and to threatening predators. There are two times a coot will splash: during mating season to attract attention and to discourage predators. American Coots also use their good sense of vision to communicate.
Food Habits
Fulica americana is an omnivorious species. It will eat small aquatic animals (fish or tadpoles), insects, and vegetation found in the pond. Coots have the ability to dive after its food, much like ducks. When diving, they seek the plants that grow on the bottom of the pond. After bringing plants up to the surface, coots will go through them looking for the edible bits. Even though F. americana is capable of searching out its own food, it has been known to steal food from other birds (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980; Udvardy 1994).
Primary Diet:
omnivore .
Animal Foods:
amphibians; fish; insects; mollusks; aquatic crustaceans.
Plant Foods:
leaves.
Predation
- osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- raccoons (Procyon lotor)
- striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis)
- red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)
- coyotes (Canis latrans)
American coots have a certain sound to warn other birds of predators. They will also splash around in the water to discourage predators. They are preyed upon by osprey and bald eagles as adults. Eggs and nestlings are preyed upon by raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, snapping turtles, and many other small predators.
Ecosystem Roles
American Coots influence populations of aquatic invertebrates and plants and serve as a prey base for predators in their habitats.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Coots negatively affect humans when they choose to nest on golf courses or parks and leave excrement behind (CSUB 1998).
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Due to the awkwardness of the coot's take-off and early flight, they are not typically hunted as game birds. (Halsey 1990).
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Least Concern.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
Protected.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.
Fulica americana is an abundant and widespread species. The American coot is not endangered, nor is it threatened. The Hawaiian coot, Fulica americana alai is the only subspecies of the coot family that is endangered. This bird has been on the endangered species list since 1970. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2000)
Other Comments
Fulica americana is the only member of the rail family that has truly adapted to live on the water. The average lifespan of this bird is about nine years (Grzimek 1975; Terres 1980).
For More Information
Find Fulica americana information at
Contributors
Allison Bridgman (author), University of California-Irvine.
Rudi Berkelhamer (editor), University of California at Irvine.
