Hawaiian Coot
Fulica alai
The only coot in the Hawaiian Islands. Similar in appearance to American Coot, but the frontal shield above the bill is larger and more bulbous. Shield may be white or dark reddish-brown. Distinguished from Common Gallinule by white frontal shield, gray feet and legs, and lobed toes. Occurs in wetlands, lakes, ponds, marshes, canals, and golf courses. Often grazes in grassy areas adjacent to wetlands.
Identification
The ʻAlae keʻokeʻo (Fulica alai), also known as the Hawaiian coot in English, is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae, that is endemic to Hawaii. In Hawaiian, ʻalae is a noun and means mud hen. Keʻo is an adjective for clear or white. It is similar to the American coot at 33–40.6 cm (13–16 in) in length and weighing around 700 g (1 lb 9 oz). 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 is considered both endemic and endangered by the state of Hawaiʻi. It is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators such as the small Asian mongoose. The Makalawena Marsh on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi has been listed as a National Natural Landmark to preserve one of its last nesting areas.
Taxonomy
The first reference to a coot in the Hawaiian Islands was by Andrew Bloxam, who encountered the Hawaiian coot but failed to collect a specimen as he mistook it for the Eurasian coot, Fulica atra, while in the islands in 1825 as the naturalist on board HMS Blonde. It is now considered either to be a separate species, Fulica alai, or a subspecies of the American coot, Fulica americana alai.
- Scientific name
- Fulica alai
- Authority
- Peale, 1849
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
- Genus
- Fulica
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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