COOTS 
175 
Field Marks. Red bill and frontal plate, white flank streaks, brownish back, and all 
dark secondary tips when flying. 
Nesting. Usually on a slight eminence such as an old muskrat house in watery 
marshes, in nest of waste vegetable fragments. 
Distribution. More northern than the Purple Gallinule, and regularly common in 
Canada only along the lower Great Lakes. There is one record for southern Manitoba. 
This is the best known Mud-hen of southeastern Canada. Its fairly 
large size and palatable flesh, due to its fondness for wild rice and other 
marsh seeds, renders it an object of pursuit by the sportsman. It requires 
more open water than the rails, but in general resembles them in habits. 
It is a rather noisy bird, especially at night; and during the day joins the 
rails in their chorus of surprise at unusual and unexpected disturbances. 
At times one bird will suddenly utter a volley of cackles, answered immedi- 
ately by another, and another, and for a few moments the apparently 
deserted marsh is a small pandemonium of unexpected bird sounds. 
Economic Status . Except as a quasi-game bird the gallinule is of 
little account economically. 
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 dead white plate or shield 
(Figure 249). 
Distinctions. Scallop-webbed toes and frontal shield on forehead. 
220. Black Coot, la foulque noire. 
Fulica atra. L, 16. Like the American 
Coot from winch it can be distinguished only 
by small details. 
Distinctions. Slightly larger and more 
heavily built than the American Coot. Under- 
tail-coverts black instead of white; toes con- 
siderably longer, middle one over 2 • 75 inches 
instead of under; bill larger and heavier; 
frontal shield considerably broader, to 0-65 
inch instead of 0*35 inch, broad, decidedly 
club-shaped, and without brown spots. 
Distribution. Northern parts of eastern 
hemisphere. There are individual records 
for the Labrador coast and Newfoundland, 
but none that is strictly Canadian. 
221. American Coot, mud-hen. la 
foulque d’amerique. Fulica aniericana. 
L, 15. Plate XXI 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 
scalloped flaps (Figure 249). 
Distinctions. The even grey coloration, 
blackening to head, white bill, and brown- 
based frontal shield; scalloped w r ebs 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 neck, that gives a character- 
istic silhouette. As it walks it has a graceful 
bobbing of the head in time with the step. 
76916 — 12i 
Figure 249 
Specific details of Coot; 
scale, §. 
