Coot
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226044506
2008-07-16T16:06:25Z
Meldshal42
3783630
/* Photo gallery */ adding unused image
{{otheruses}}
{{redirect|Coots|the songwriter|John Frederick Coots}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Coots
| image = Coot-231.jpg
| image_width = 200px
| image_caption = [[Eurasian Coot]]
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[bird|Aves]]
| ordo = [[Gruiformes]]
| familia = [[Rallidae]]
| genus = '''''Fulica'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision =
* ''[[Red-knobbed Coot|Fulica cristata]]''
* ''[[Eurasian Coot|Fulica atra]]''
* ''[[Hawaiian Coot|Fulica alai]]''
* ''[[American Coot|Fulica americana]]''
* ''[[Caribbean Coot|Fulica caribaea]]''
* ''[[White-winged Coot|Fulica leucoptera]]''
* ''[[Andean Coot|Fulica ardesiaca]]''
* ''[[Red-gartered Coot|Fulica armillata]]''
* ''[[Red-fronted Coot|Fulica rufifrons]]''
* ''[[Giant Coot|Fulica gigantea]]''
* ''[[Horned Coot|Fulica cornuta]]''
* ''[[Mascarene Coot|Fulica newtoni]]'' <small>([[extinct]])</small>
''For prehistoric species, see article text''
}}
The '''coots''' are medium-sized birds which are members of the [[Rallidae|rail]] [[family (biology)|family]]. They constitute the genus '''''Fulica'''''.
The greatest species variety is in [[South America]], and it is likely that the genus originated there.
These rails are all predominantly black in [[Feather|plumage]], and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water rather than [[skulking]] in reedbeds.
They have prominent frontal shields or other decoration on the forehead, and coloured bills, and many, but not all, have white on the undertail. Like other rails, they have lobed toes.
They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers, although northern species are nevertheless capable of covering long distances; the [[American Coot]] has reached [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]] on rare occasions. Those species that [[bird migration|migrate]] do so at night.
Coots can walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes that are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces.
These birds are [[omnivorous]], taking mainly plant material, but also small animals and [[Egg (biology)|eggs]]. They are aggressively territorial during the breeding season, but are otherwise often found in sizeable flocks on the shallow vegetated lakes they prefer. A flock of coots is known in the US as a cooter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baltimorebirdclub.org/gnlist.html | title=Baltimore Bird Club. Group Name for Birds: A Partial List | accessdate=2007-06-03}}</ref>
==Species in taxonomic order==
* [[Red-knobbed Coot]], '' Fulica cristata''
* [[Eurasian Coot]], or Common Coot, ''Fulica atra''
* [[Hawaiian Coot]], '' Fulica alai''
* [[American Coot]], '' Fulica americana''
* [[Caribbean Coot]], '' Fulica caribaea''
* [[White-winged Coot]], '' Fulica leucoptera''
* [[Andean Coot]], '' Fulica ardesiaca''
* [[Red-gartered Coot]], '' Fulica armillata''
* [[Red-fronted Coot]], '' Fulica rufifrons''
* [[Giant Coot]], '' Fulica gigantea''
* [[Horned Coot]], '' Fulica cornuta''
* [[Mascarene Coot]], '' Fulica newtoni '' ([[extinct]], c.[[1700]])
* [[Chatham Island Coot]], '' Fulica chathamensis '' ([[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric]])<!-- Auk79:267 -->
* [[New Zealand Coot]], ''Fulica prisca'' ([[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric]])<!-- Auk79:267 -->
* ''Fulica infelix'' ([[fossil]]: Early Pliocene of [[Juntura, Oregon|Juntura]], [[Malheur County, Oregon|Malheur County]], [[Oregon]], USA)
* ''Fulica shufeldti'' ([[fossil]]: Pleistocene of North America) - possibly a subspecies of ''Fulica americana''; formerly ''F. minor'' <!-- Auk80:335; Auk90:438; Condor49:10; Condor69:24 -->
== Photo gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Eurasian_Coot_on_the_Thames.jpg|Eurasian coot on the River [[Thames]]
Image:Coot-nest-on-canal.jpg|A coot nest in the middle of a canal. The male coot protects the female coot while breeding.
Image:Coot-nest-786.JPG|Nesting at [[Walthamstow Marshes]]
Image:Coots.jpg|Running on the surface of the water
Image:Cootwithyoung.jpg|A female Eurasian coot leads her two young to the pond: [[WWT]] Barnes [[London]]
Image:Eurocoot.JPG|A European coot swims along.
</gallery>
== References ==
<references/>
* ''Rails'' by Taylor and van Perlo, ISBN 90-74345-20-4
== External links ==
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=46 Coot videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
{{wiktionary|coot}}
{{commonscat_show2|Fulica|Rallidae}}
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[[Category:Fulica|*]]
[[Category:Genera of birds]]
[[Category:Rallidae]]
[[ar:غرة]]
[[ca:Fotja]]
[[es:Fulica]]
[[eo:Fuliko]]
[[fa:چنگر]]
[[fr:Fulica]]
[[io:Fulko]]
[[it:Fulica]]
[[lt:Laukiai]]
[[hu:Fulica]]
[[pt:Fulica]]
[[ru:Лысухи]]
[[sv:Sothöns]]