Species guide
American Coot: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, North America and South America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Pierce Louderback · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Fulica americana
- Family
- Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Size
- About 34–43 cm
- Habitat
- Ponds, lakes and marshes
- Found in
- Europe, North America and South America
The key marks
A slate-grey, duck-like bird with a white bill, a dark band near the tip and a white patch under the tail.
Voice
A variety of clucks, grunts and pops.
Good to know
It has lobed toes rather than webbed feet, and it patters across the water to take off.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in ponds, lakes and marshes. It is especially common in Mexico, Arizona and California. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.