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.
Hawaiian coot Hawaiian coot The Hawaiian coot ("Fulica alai"), also known as the alae kea in Hawaiian, is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae, that is endemic to Hawaii. In Hawaiian, alae is a noun and means "mud hen". Kea or its synonym keo is an adjective for "white". It is similar to the American coot at in length and weighing around . It has black plumage and a prominent white frontal shield. Its natural habitats are freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, coastal saline lagoons, and water storage areas. The bird was federally listed in October 1970 as an endangered species and