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Nearby · Summit Co.
BirdsIn Summit County, Ohio

American Coot

Fulica americana J. F. Gmelin, 1789

American Coot in all of Ohio
American Coot (Fulica americana)
(c) Pierce Louderback, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pierce Louderback · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Gruiformes
Family
Rallidae
Genus
Fulica

Conservation status

Species of concern in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)

Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one that might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress, or one it has some concern for but too little information to judge. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.

Near Summit County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 1 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 70. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (7)
  • Within its mapped range (36)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (37)
  • Recorded, season not shown (7)
  • Season shown (1)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
American Coot by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter, migration
Allen CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Ashland CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Ashtabula CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Belmont CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Butler CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Carroll CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter, migration
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Coshocton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Crawford CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Cuyahoga County58 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Defiance CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Franklin County22 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Hamilton County38 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter, migration
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Harrison CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Knox CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Lake County42 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer
Lawrence CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Lorain County71 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer
Lucas County68 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Mahoning CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Muskingum CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Pickaway CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Preble CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Ross CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Scioto CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter, migration
Seneca CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Stark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Summit County225 · Season shownYes: summer
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer
Tuscarawas CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Union CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Warren County23 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Washington CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Williams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Wood CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: summer
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo

Season

When it is recorded

In Summit County

Mid-October to mid-April, middle week Jan 18–24

Show over the bars
Recording in Summit County · records of all species each week, 106,876 in all

Records per week from 225 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 159 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of American Coot in Summit County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of American CootYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10165711
Jan 11–1795665
Jan 18–24116601
Jan 25–3185526
Feb 1–793608
Feb 8–14113619
Feb 15–2155629
Feb 22–28125748
Mar 1–774728
Mar 8–1491852
Mar 15–21731,055
Mar 22–28641,007
Mar 29 – Apr 4331,005
Apr 5–11111,654
Apr 12–181142,454
Apr 19–25752,699
Apr 26 – May 2443,970
May 3–9223,569
May 10–16114,053
May 17–23003,509
May 24–30004,045
May 31 – Jun 6002,874
Jun 7–13113,158
Jun 14–20223,796
Jun 21–27003,501
Jun 28 – Jul 4003,968
Jul 5–11003,632
Jul 12–18004,051
Jul 19–25113,855
Jul 26 – Aug 1002,908
Aug 2–8003,828
Aug 9–15003,583
Aug 16–22113,535
Aug 23–29222,939
Aug 30 – Sep 5112,840
Sep 6–12212,758
Sep 13–19112,761
Sep 20–26002,646
Sep 27 – Oct 3002,089
Oct 4–10002,317
Oct 11–17221,944
Oct 18–241031,314
Oct 25–311151,272
Nov 1–711786
Nov 8–1454761
Nov 15–2152654
Nov 22–28183703
Nov 29 – Dec 511503
Dec 6–1222447
Dec 13–1973496
Dec 20–2693522
Dec 27 – Jan 243728

In Ohio

Early October to early May, middle week Feb 8–14

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 1,076 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 674 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of American Coot in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of American CootYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–103496,211
Jan 11–171795,146
Jan 18–2425104,645
Jan 25–311874,698
Feb 1–73076,023
Feb 8–142055,888
Feb 15–211185,436
Feb 22–282786,846
Mar 1–73088,321
Mar 8–1429910,384
Mar 15–2137812,620
Mar 22–2838813,949
Mar 29 – Apr 4301019,661
Apr 5–11481026,860
Apr 12–18711039,925
Apr 19–25581041,623
Apr 26 – May 2381056,391
May 3–934952,952
May 10–16421053,785
May 17–2323757,698
May 24–305454,651
May 31 – Jun 67453,099
Jun 7–131153,700
Jun 14–205556,625
Jun 21–271155,361
Jun 28 – Jul 41158,477
Jul 5–115361,336
Jul 12–186164,722
Jul 19–251169,753
Jul 26 – Aug 12259,416
Aug 2–82259,712
Aug 9–153355,994
Aug 16–226254,328
Aug 23–293351,772
Aug 30 – Sep 51157,167
Sep 6–126459,075
Sep 13–194354,543
Sep 20–261145,860
Sep 27 – Oct 35443,180
Oct 4–1011637,841
Oct 11–1717830,824
Oct 18–2437821,156
Oct 25–31461019,021
Nov 1–721814,172
Nov 8–1445812,621
Nov 15–212287,965
Nov 22–2848108,136
Nov 29 – Dec 51576,083
Dec 6–121586,004
Dec 13–193385,423
Dec 20–261885,661
Dec 27 – Jan 223108,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata206 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos181 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps88 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris31 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum29 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Open water40%3%
Developed29%49%
Wetland16%5%
Farmland9%11%
Forest3%31%
Barren1%0.6%
Grassland and shrub1%0.9%

From 337 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Finer identifications

Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:

  • Fulica americana americanaCaribbean Cootsubspecies

Every one of these records counts toward the American Coot's season above.

Why some records go further than species

Many species vary from place to place. Groups of a species that look or sound a little different, and live in different areas, can be named as subspecies. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.

Names: Catalogue of Life.

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Summit County result

225 records from 1 dataset.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.