American Coot

(Fulica americana)

Conservation Status
American Coot
Photo by Christa Rittberg
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRB - Unranked Breeding

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

13 to 16 in length

24 wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
  No similar species  
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Freshwater lakes, ponds or shallow marshes

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

Early March to late April and mid-September to November

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common to abundant migrant and breeder

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Gruiformes (cranes, rails, and allies)  
 

Family

Rallidae (rails, gallinules, and coots)  
 

Genus

Fulica (coots)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Columbian Coot (Fulica americana columbiana)

North American Coot (Fulica americana americana)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this bird.

 
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Jackson Miest

 
 

A coot... what a hoot!

This little guy was spotted at around 8pm outside a taphouse. He let us look at him pretty closely before he stretched his legs and looked defensive.

  American Coot  
 

Lynn Rubey

 
 

An American Coot preening its feathers along the rivers edge in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

 
    American Coot      
           
 

Another American Coot a dabbling duck foraging for food.

 
    American Coot      
 

Christa Rittberg

 
    American Coot   American Coot  
 

Wayne Rasmussen

 
    American Coot      
           
 

Coot migration at Tamarac Nat'l Wildlife Refuge 2009

 
    American Coot      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
    American Coot   American Coot  

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
American Coot
JMC Nature Photos
  American Coot  
Coots
jt893x
  Coots  
American Coot
Joshua Mayer
  American Coot  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  American Coot (Fulica americana)
Wandering Sole TV
 
   
 
About

Published on May 16, 2012

An American coot preening, feeding, and letting out the odd vocalization at Elizabeth Lake in British Columbia, Canada.

   
  American Coot (Fulica americana)
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 29, 2013

Photographed at Kellys Slough NWR, North Dakota (29 April 2013).

   
  Espiando a las Gallaretas - Fulica americana. by trucha1618xx
Francisco Valdés de la Torre *** trucha 1.618
 
   
 
About

Published on Sep 10, 2012

Aves de México
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulica_americana

Soundtrack: "The Broken" by Admiral Bob (feat. jeris)
http://ccmixter.org/files/admiralbob77/33304

Is licensed under a Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Thank you for watching!
trucha1618xx

Ver más de trucha1618xx/ To watch more by trucha1618xx: http://www.youtube.com/user/trucha1618xx/videos

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this bird.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Jackson Miest
10/12/2022

Location: Mankato, Minnesota

A coot... what a hoot! This little guy was spotted at around 8pm outside a taphouse. He let us look at him pretty closely before he stretched his legs and looked defensive.

American Coot  
  Olivia W
10/29/2020

Location: Bagley Pond, University of Minnesota Duluth, 55811

One lone coot eating vegetation in a small section of the pond that is not frozen. It went onto the shore and started grooming itself and did not appear bothered by us being 6 feet away.

 
  Lynn Rubey
10/28/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

An American Coot preening its feathers along the rivers edge in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

American Coot  
  Wayne Rasmussen
2009

Location: Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

Coot migration at Tamarac Nat'l Wildlife Refuge 2009

American Coot  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

Binoculars

 

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