127 
Subfamily — Fulicinae. Coots 
General Description. Rather large, duck-like birds, but with long toes furnished with 
membranous lobes; bill extends up on forehead in a dark white plate or shield (Figure 153). 
Distinctions . Scallop webbed toes and frontal shield on forehead. 
221. American Coot, mud-hen. Fulica americana. L, 15. Plate XVI A. An 
evenly-coloured, dark, slate-grey, duck-like bird with a white bill and white frontal shield 
on the forehead, a dark reddish-brown spot at base of frontal shield and similar smaller 
flecks near the tips of both mandibles. Legs green with Bcalloped flaps (Figure 153). 
Distinctions. The even grey coloration, 
blackening to head, white bill, and brown- 
based frontal shield; scalloped webs on toes 
are absolutely distinctive. 
Field Marks. Size, slate-grey coloration, 
and conspicuous white bill and frontal shield. 
In the distance on the water Coots resemble 
Ducks, but have a smaller rounder head and 
a more slender neckj that gives a character- 
istic silhouette. As it walks it has a graceful 
bobbing of the head in time with the step. 
Nesting. Usually some slight eminence, 
such as an old muskrat house, in watery 
marsh in nest of waste vegetation. 
Distribution. North America. Nesting 
in Canada across the continent, north to the 
Mackenzie and throughout Cariboo district 
in British Columbia. 
The Coot is a common bird on all 
our southern waters. In the autumn 
immense flocks gather on the lakes, 
often bedding out in the open water in 
black raft-like masses. They are not 
generally regarded as desirable game 
birds and their large flocks have been 
blamed at times for exhausting the 
food for more valuable species. 
Economic Status. The Coot is a 
vegetable feeder, but, owing to its 
habitat, cannot be of economic im- 
portance except as a second-rate 
object of sport. 
Figure 153 
Specific details of Coot; 
Beale, J. 
Order — Limicolae. Shore Birds. Snipes, Sandpipers, 
Plovers, etc. 
General Description. Shore Birds constitute an order comparatively easy to recognize 
but difficult to describe briefly. All snipe-like or plover-like birds are included in this 
order. They have moderately, to extremely, long, delicately formed legs for wading in 
shallow water and pond edges, and length of neck and bill (Figures 154-184) to correspond. 
The toes may be either three or four in number, and are poorly adapted for perching. 
They may be without webs entirely (Figure 163), or with partial webs situated either at 
the bases of the toes (Figure 165), or forming scalloped or entire edgings to them (Figures 
154-156). The hind toe when present is Bmall, weak, and slightly elevated above the rest. 
The wings are long and pointed and the tertiaries next to the body are lengthened. 
Distinctions. Some Shore Birds show superficial resemblance to the Rails, whereas 
others (Curlews) in certain characteristics may be mistaken for either Ibises or Herons, but 
may be distinguished from them by the small and elevated, or absent, hind toe and the 
feathered lores in front of the eye. 
