WhenToBird

Fulica americana · Rallidae

American Coot: When and Where to See It

Adult American Coot
Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The American Coot reaches Oklahoma first, around late August, and Maine last, around mid October.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 9.7% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 9.9% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 10% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 9.8% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 9.2% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 8.2% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 7.2% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 9.1% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 9.2% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 9.3% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 9.6% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 9.7% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 9.7% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 9.1% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 8.3% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 6.8% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 4.9% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 3.7% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 3.1% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 2.8% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.4% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 2.1% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.1% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 2.1% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.1% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.1% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.3% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.4% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.5% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 2.7% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 2.8% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 2.9% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 3.3% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 3.6% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 4.0% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 4.8% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 5.6% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 6.6% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 8.1% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 9.7% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 11% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 11% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 11% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 11% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 10% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 9.4% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 8.2% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 9.0% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
IowaSummer visitorFeb 22-28Apr 8-14May 22-3124%
NebraskaSummer visitorFeb 22-28Apr 8-14May 22-3121%
MichiganSummer visitorFeb 22-28Apr 8-14May 8-145.8%
MinnesotaSummer visitorMar 1-7Apr 15-21Dec 8-1415%
MontanaSummer visitorMar 8-14Apr 22-30Dec 1-722%
IdahoAll year, most in springMar 15-21Apr 8-14May 8-1422%
North DakotaSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 22-30Nov 8-1417%
South DakotaAll year, most in springApr 1-7Apr 15-21May 1-722%
KansasSummer visitorSep 8-14Apr 1-7May 8-1416%
IllinoisSummer visitorSep 8-14Apr 1-7May 1-713%
OhioSummer visitorSep 15-21Apr 1-7May 15-2110%
ColoradoAll year, most in fallOct 1-7Nov 1-7Dec 8-1420%
AlaskaPasses throughOct 1-7Oct 22-31Dec 1-72.9%
New HampshirePasses throughOct 15-21Nov 1-7Nov 15-211.5%
NevadaAll year, most in winterOct 1-7Nov 15-21May 1-741%
ArizonaAll year, most in winterOct 1-7Nov 15-21Apr 1-728%
FloridaWinter visitorOct 1-7Jan 15-21Apr 8-1413%
LouisianaWinter visitorOct 1-7Jan 22-31Apr 1-712%
MississippiWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 15-21Apr 8-1411%
New YorkWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 8-14Apr 15-215.1%
Rhode IslandWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 15-21Mar 8-145.1%
New MexicoAll year, most in winterOct 8-14Nov 15-21Apr 22-3017%
AlabamaWinter visitorOct 8-14Jan 15-21Apr 1-78.9%
KentuckyWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 8-14Apr 22-306.3%
North CarolinaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 15-21Apr 1-75.5%
New JerseyWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 1-7Apr 15-215.2%
District of ColumbiaWinter visitorOct 8-14Dec 8-14Apr 8-143.8%
MassachusettsWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 8-14Apr 8-143.9%
West VirginiaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 8-14Apr 15-214.1%
CaliforniaAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Jan 8-14Apr 8-1429%
UtahAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Apr 1-7May 1-727%
TexasAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Mar 1-7Apr 15-2118%
South CarolinaWinter visitorOct 15-21Mar 8-14Apr 8-145.8%
DelawareWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 8-14Apr 15-213.6%
GeorgiaWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 15-21Apr 8-144.1%
MarylandWinter visitorOct 15-21Mar 15-21Apr 22-303.7%
PennsylvaniaWinter visitorOct 15-21Mar 22-31Apr 22-303.4%
VirginiaWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 15-21Apr 15-213.2%
ConnecticutWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 8-14Apr 8-142.0%
MaineWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 1-7Dec 8-142.1%
WisconsinWinter visitorFeb 15-21Oct 22-31Jan 8-1412%
WyomingWinter visitorMar 1-7Nov 1-7Dec 1-716%
OklahomaWinter visitorAug 22-31Nov 1-7May 1-718%
IndianaWinter visitorSep 8-14Mar 22-31May 1-714%
TennesseeWinter visitorSep 15-21Nov 8-14Apr 8-1411%
ArkansasWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 1-7Apr 15-2110%
MissouriWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 1-7May 1-79.3%
OregonYear-round–Apr 1-7–15%
WashingtonYear-round–Mar 15-21–14%

Winter visitor in: Utah, Texas, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Passes through: Idaho, South Dakota

Summer visitor in: Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio