Listen to the American coot
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the American coot
The American coot is a bird in the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”.
What does the American coot sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
From Wikipedia
The American coot (Fulica americana), also known as a mud hen or pouldeau, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken for ducks, American coots are only distantly related to ducks, belonging to a separate order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step to facilitate walking on dry land. Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots are called covers or rafts. The oldest known coot lived to be 22 years old.
Related birds in the genus Fulica
More from the family Rallidae
Common moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Corn crake
Crex crex
Water rail
Rallus aquaticus
Spotted crake
Porzana porzana
Baillon's crake
Zapornia pusilla
Western swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
White-breasted waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus
Takahē
Porphyrio hochstetteri
Weka
Gallirallus australis
Ruddy-breasted crake
Zapornia fusca
Frequently asked questions
What does an American coot sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the American coot on this page. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the American coot endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the American coot as “least concern”.
What family does the American coot belong to?
The American coot (Fulica americana) belongs to the family Rallidae in the order Gruiformes.
Sources & credits
- Yellowstone sound library - American Coots - 001 by NPS & MSU Acoustic Atlas/Jennifer Jerrett – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q470016 – CC0
- Wikipedia: American coot – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Rhododendrites – CC BY-SA 4.0