98 Birds of Colorado 
American Coot. Fulica americana. 
A.O.U Checklist no 221—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; 
Henshaw 75, p. 469; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, 
pp. 18, 63, 199; Keyser 02, p. 145; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, 
p. 234, 09, p. 227; Warren 06, p. 19; 08, p. 20; 09, p. 13; Markman 
07, p. 155; Richards 08, p. 38; Rockwell 08, p. 158; Hersey & 
Rockwell 09, p. 114. 
Description.—Adult—Dark ashy-grey above, paler below, darkening 
on the head and neck to blackish ; edge of the alula, outer edge of the 
outer web of the outer primary, tips of the secondaries and outer under- 
tail-coverts white; central under tail-coverts black ; iris carmine, bill 
white or fleshy with a spot of reddish-black near the tip and at the 
base of the frontal shield, legs yellowish-green. Length 14-0; wing 7-6; 
tail 1-75; culmen with frontal shield 1-70; tarsus 2-0. 
In winter the abdomen is whitish owing to white tips to the feathers ; 
young birds are duller and paler; they have the bill dingy and no 
frontal shield. 
Distribution.—From New Brunswick and British Columbia south- 
wards through the West Indies and Central America to northern 
South America. 
The American Coot or Mud-hen, as it is more familiarly termed, 
is » common summer resident in Colorado, breeding plentifully 
chiefly in the north-eastern plains region and in the mountain parks, 
but also at very considerable elevations, up to 10,000 feet at least. 
There is a nestling in the Aiken collection obtained by Aiken at California 
Gulch near Leadville, between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. It does not 
seem to be so abundant on the western slopes, where it is noted as not 
common both near Coventry (Warren) and in Mesa co. (Rockwell). 
It arrives from the south about the second half of March. I am told 
by Hersey that a certain number spend the winter at Barr Lake, 
while this is confirmed by Richards, who saw a Mud-hen at Littleton 
on Christmas Day, 1907. 
Other breeding records are Loveland (Gale), Greeley (Hall), Middle 
and South Parks (Carter), Buena Vista (Keyser), and San Luis Lake 
(Henshaw). 
Habits.—Coots somewhat resemble Gallinules in their 
habits, but they are more social in their ways, and fonder 
of open water. They like to swim about in small com- 
panies, nodding their heads in a characteristic fashion 
as they go, and are easily identified by their shiny-whity 
beaks. They rise from the water with considerable 
