American coot old. The American coot is a migratory bird that occupies most of North America. It lives in the Pacific and southwestern United States and Mexico year-round and occupies more northeastern regions during the summer breeding season. In the winter they can be found as far south as Panama. Coots generally build floating nests and lay 8–12 eggs per clutch. Females and males have similar appearances, but they can be distinguished during aggressive displays by the larger ruff (head plumage) on the male. American coots eat primarily algae and other aquatic plants but also animals (both vertebrates and invertebrates) when available.
New Zealand coot New Zealand coot The New Zealand coot ("Fulica prisca") is an extinct bird in the rail family, Rallidae, that was endemic to New Zealand. It was described in 1893 by New Zealand naturalist, ethnologist and museum director Augustus Hamilton, from material he had collected the previous year at Castle Rocks on the Oreti River in Southland. The specific epithet comes from the Latin "priscus" ("old"), referring to its subfossil occurrence. Remains have subsequently been found at several sites in both North and South Islands. The New Zealand coot and the related Chatham coot ("F. chathamensis") are classified as coots on