How to Identify aAmerican Coot
Fulica americana · 15.5–16.9 in (39–43 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Dark slate-gray body, blacker head, a chalky-white bill with a dark ring, and a small red forehead shield. Sexes look alike.
Female
Identical to the male in the field.
Male photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Second photo: (c) Francisco Farriols Sarabia, some rights reserved (CC BY) / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0
Field marks
- Chalky white chicken-like bill
- Head pumps back and forth as it swims
- Lobed toes, not webbed feet
- White patch under the tail
Similar species
What it sounds like
A constant stream of croaks, clucks and grunting notes from feeding flocks.
Behaviour that gives it away
Has lobed rather than webbed toes, and must patter across the surface for many yards to get airborne.
Habitat & range
Ponds, marshes, lakes, reservoirs and city park waters across North America.
When you'll see it
Depending on where in North America you are, it is present all year and a winter visitor.
What it eats
Aquatic plants, algae, insects and small animals.
Did you know?
Its toes have separate flaps of skin rather than full webbing, which works for swimming and still lets it walk on land.
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