214 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



COOT 



Fulica americana GiiirJin 



A. O. I'. XumbtT J21 i-ee Color I'late 27 



Other Names. — American Coot ; Mud Hen ; Water 

 Hen; Marsh Hen; Moor-head; Meadow Hen; Water 

 Chicken; Pond Hen; Mud Coot; Ivory-billed Coot; 

 White-bellied Mud Hen; White-bill; Hen-bill; Crow- 

 bill ; Sea Crow ; Pond Crow ; Crow Duck ; Flusterer ; 

 Blue Peter; Splatter; Shuffler; Pelick ; Pull-doo. 



General Description. — Length, i6 inchei. Prevail- 

 ing color, slate, dark above and light below ; forehead, 

 covered by naked shield at base of bill ; bill stout, nearly 

 as long as head ; toes lobcd along cdijrs. 



Color. — Adults: Entire plumage, dark slate-gray, 

 blackening on head and neck, tinged with olive on 

 back ; under tail-coverts, edge of wing, til's of sccoiida- 

 rii's, and ends of some primaries, tvhitc; bill, ^c/m'/c with 

 small spots of reddish near end and at base of frontal 

 shield; frontal shield, brown; feet, pale olive-c/reenish: 

 iris, red. Downy Young: Blackish above, whitish be- 



low, with numerous orange-colored hair-like feathers 

 on throat and upper parts. Immature: Similar to 

 adults, but lighter below, and bill flesh color. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: Constructed of dead reeds, 

 grasses, and bits of decayed vegetation; afloat on the 

 water or in the reeds nearby. Eggs : 7 to 16, creamy, 

 hnely and regularly spotted over entire surface with 

 specks of dark brown and black. 



Distribution. — North America ; breeds from central 

 British Columbia, southern Mackenzie, Manitoba, Que- 

 bec, and New Brunswick south to northern Lower 

 California, Te.xas, Tennessee, and New Jersej', and 

 also in southern Mexico, southern West Indies, and 

 Guatemala ; winters from southern British Columbia, 

 Nevada, Utah, the Ohio valley and Virginia south to 

 Colombia ; casual at Fort Yukon, Alaska, and in Green- 

 land, Labrador, and Bermuda. 



Many people think that the Coot is a Duck 

 because it is usually seen swimming. As a matter 

 of fact, however, it belongs to the Rail tribe. Its 

 feet arc not webbed straight across, but each toe 

 has a sort of scallop of lobes, which answer just 

 about as well in paddling, .\nother popular mis- 

 take is to apply the name Coot to those marine 



Ducks which are properly called Scoters, not 

 " Sea Coots." 



The real Coot, while having some limitations, 

 is notably versatile with its feet. Not that it is 

 exactly a feathered I'avlowa, but with marked 

 ability it can run, walk, swim, and " skitter." In 

 the " Mud Hen skitter," which might well be 



Phulu by W. L. Finley and H. T. Bohlman 



COOTS 



Their odd ways make one laugh 



