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.
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
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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