Species-Specific Management (SSM)

American Coot

The American coot (Fulica americana) is a slate gray, aquatic game bird with a range that extends from southern Canada to northern South America. Within Virginia, it is a common transient, but its status is uncertain due to a reduction in its habitat. It is important, therefore , to be aware of the coot's habitat and food requirements, especially with respect to nesting. A description of these requirements and specific management practices are offered here as guidelines to increasing coot populations.

Habitat Requirements

1. The American coot breeds from Canada to southern California and Florida. The Virginia breeding season runs from May to September. It winters from British Columbia, throughout the United States to as far south as South America.
2. They often select habitats based on the availability of natural platforms (e.g., muskrat lodges) which are used as the base of their nest construction.
3. In the absence of natural platforms, coots attach their nests of dead leaves and stems to reeds and cattails. Nesting sites include:
   • freshwater marshes
   • wet meadows
   • lakes
   • ponds
   • reservoirs
   • sewage lagoons
   • marshy borders of creeks and rivers with abundant emergent vegetation
4. Preferred nesting cover includes:
   • cattails
   • bulrush
   • sedge
   • willow
   • burreed
   • soft and hard stems
5. Lack of emergent vegetation is a major limiting factor. In open water environments, coots require a minimum of 0.06 acres of emergent vegetation with 470 ft. of linear edge.
6. American coots are omnivorous. Their diet consists of:
   • pondweed
   • spikerush
   • crustaceans
   • duckweed
   • water milfoil
   • small mollusks
   • widgeon grass
   • wild cherry
   • worms
   • musk grass
   • fish
   • spiders
   • naiad
   • snails
   • aquatic insects

   The precocial young are fed a diet of larval aquatic insects and small crayfish.

7. The young are susceptible to predation by turtles, bass, and water snakes. The young, as well as the adults, may become prey to bald eagles and great horned owls.

Management Practices

1. Managers should encourage the development of aquatic environments that would benefit the American coot. Such particular environments are:
   • wetlands
   • brackish and freshwater marshes
   • mud flats
   • ponds
   • water holes and potholes
2. Maintain and/or restore the following areas to benefit the coot:
   • all areas listed above in #1
   • bogs
   • wilderness environments
   • riparian areas
3. Exercise control over certain human-related activities to maintain viable coot populations. These include controlling excess sedimentation; limiting livestock access to riparian zones; and reducing physical, chemical, and thermal pollution in waters used by coots.
4. Management practices that have strong negative impacts include:
   • intensive agriculture and irrigation
   • intensive urban, commercial, and recreational practices
   • draining wetlands, marshes, ponds, lakes, etc.
   • dredging and filling
   • prescribed or controlled burning
   • application of pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides
5. A change in water level during breeding season (May-September in Virginia) can be detrimental to coots. Discourage the construction of dams and locks around coot breeding waters.
6. Due to a lack of interest in the coot as a palatable game species, few data has been collected on their population structure.
7. Take breeding population surveys for density estimates. Encourage hunters to donate unwanted carcasses to local game departments for sex ratio and age distribution estimates.
8. To increase public interest in the American coot, utilize the public school system to expose children to this species and its habitat. Encourage teachers to create projects that allow children to spend time observing coots. Provide the teachers with forms that the children will use to record coot numbers and behavior. Not only will these projects provide much needed information, they will also give school children an appreciation of coots.

A contribution of Lara R. Meeks and Lisa E. Watson (1992), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321

See additional materials on waterfowl at (Comment from Rick Sojda 12.21.1999): The Waterfowl Management Handbook was never completed, but existing chapters are available online at http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/wmh/default.htm.The best people to ask about the Waterfowl Managemaent Handbook are at Gaylord Memorial Lab. Dr. Leigh Fredrickson has several copies. I do know that (the Handbooks) are not complete, but it was recently updtated. Shannon Torrence, Gaylord lab, gaylord@sheltonbbs.com, (573)222-3531, Route 1, Box 185

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.