American Coot (Fulica americana)

OTHER NAMES: Mud Hen, Poldeau
Latin Etymology: Fulica ("coot") americana ("American") 

Adult American Coot (subspecies Fulica americana americana) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Fulica americana americana
Weight: 420-850g /  Length: 34-43cm  /  Wingspan: 58-71cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

It would be lying to say the coots were an especially visually diverse genus, and indeed the American Coot is, in broad impression, very much like the Eurasian Coot although in this instance with slight hints of yellow and red at the top edge of the frontal shield. It's range covered most of the continental USA and the Carribean, as well as parts of South America.

Related Species:
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Fulica
SUBSPECIES: F. a. americana, F. a. columbiana

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
A widespread and abundant species resident in much of the country, and breeding visitor to the majority of the rest.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley and San Francisco

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

OTHER NAMES: Common Coot, Coot, Black Coot

Latin Etymology: Fulica ("coot") atra ("black")

                                               Adult Eurasian Coot (subspecies F. a. atra) on the nest at Brent Reservoir, London

Featured Subspecies - Fulica atra atra

Weight: 600-1100g  /  Length: 34-42cm  /  Wingspan: 70-80cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the UK's most common waterbirds and the heaviest of it's rails, coots can be found on most decently sized bodies of water. On larger lakes particularly, hundreds of them can congregate on the water at a time at the right time of year. From a bird-watching perspective this is not a species that requires too much work to photograph - a lot of parks will have close views of them, particularly if you are feeding ducks.  It is also probably one of the easiest species to view on the nest in country.

Related Species: 
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Fulica
Subspecies: F. a. atra, F. a. lugubris, F. a. novaegeinea, F. a. australis

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Common Breeding Species (31,000 pairs) and common Winter Migrant (approx. 190,000 birds) of lakes and rivers.

 - Birds seen commonly at many river and wetland locations including Rutland Water, Rainham Marshes, Regent's Park, Pitsford Reservoir, Ditchford Gravel Pits and Eyebrook Reservoir, particularly in Winter, where large flocks may gather on open water..

SPAIN - Spanish - Focha

Locally common resident.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Fairly numerous at El Rocio where flocks may also contain the rarer Red-Knobbed Coot.   
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several seen at Laguna Navaseca    

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.