FAMILY RALLIDAE 363 



FULICA AMERICANA AMERICANA Gmelin: American Coot; 

 Gallineta Cenicienta 



Figure 60 



Fulica amerkana Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 704. (North America.) 



Similar to the common gallinule but bill white ; toes with elongated, 

 fringing webs or lobes on each joint. 



Description. — Length 340-380 mm. Sexes alike ; head and neck 

 black; under surface gray; above darker gray, tinged with olive on 

 the back ; under tail coverts, and tips of secondaries white. 



Small frontal shield dull red ; rest of bill white. 



Measurements. — Males (10 specimens), wing 182-199 (192), tail 

 47.0-52.5 (50.2), tarsus 43-50 (46.6) mm. 



Females (10 specimens), wing 176-188 (178.8), tail 41.0-54.0 

 (48.7), tarsus 47-56 (50.6) mm. 



Migrant from the north. Common on fresh-water lakes and larger 

 rivers east to central Panama through the Canal Zone. Recorded 

 from mid-November to the end of March. 



During the period of northern winter a few coots appear on the 

 small lakes at Miraflores, in areas of quiet water on Madden and 

 Gatun Lakes, and along the broad expanse of the Rio Chagres between 

 Gamboa and Madden Dam. They may come in greater numbers on 

 impounded waters among the banana farms near Changuinola, where 

 on January 30, 1958, I recorded about 400 in one forenoon. I have 

 seen a few on the lakes near El Volcan in Chiriqui, and years ago 

 Arce secured specimens for Salvin at Laguna del Castillo and 

 Calobre in Veraguas. Karl Curtis informs me that he has found a 

 few at La Jagua, usually in November and December, but that they 

 do not remain for long. 



Griscom (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 7d>, 1935, p. 305) was 

 misinformed when he recorded this species as resident around Laguna 

 de Chiriqui, since though they appear near Almirante, it is only as 

 migrants. I have taken specimens for identification on the Chagres 

 near Juan Mina, Canal Zone, January 8, and near El Volcan, Chiriqui, 

 February 9, 1955. 



In Panama coots range on open v/aters, often in shallow channels 

 bordered by aquatic weeds, where they swim and dive for food like 

 the ducks that often are present with them. The small, pointed bill, 

 as well as the constantly nodding head, mark them from their duck 

 companions, and the white color of the bill distinguishes them from 

 the gallinules that also may be their companions. 



