NSIS: Florida's Common Waterbirds - Rails, Gallinules, Coots

Photographs on this page courtesy of SFWMD

American Coots are found in fresh- and saltwater wetlands. They usually nest over water, often building numerous nests and using only one. They are quite territorial and noisy.

Purple Gallinules inhabit shallow freshwater wetlands with floating vegetation. They usually nest over water and build a ramp from the nest down to floating vegetation. They tend to live in family units of a dozen or more individuals with non-breeding members assisting in care of the young.

Common Moorhens inhabit freshwater marshes, lakes, and ponds. They usually build nests with ramps over water.

rail

Clapper Rails, also known as Marsh Hens and Mud Hens, are more often heard than seen. They inhabit coastal marshes and mangroves. They nest in clumps of grasses or other vegetation sometimes building ramps.

Soras are also elusive. They are found in freshwater marshes and wet prairies. They build nests on or slightly above the water and occasionally in fields.

name	area	season	diet/native food plants
American Coot	NCS	SpSuFW-B	aquatic vegetation*, algae, fish, insects aquatic plants, grasses, sedge
Purple Gallinule	NCS CS	SpSu-B SpSuFW	seeds, fruit, plants, insects aquatic plants, grasses
Common Moorhen	NCS	SpSuFW-B	aquatic vegetation*, snails, seeds, fruit aquatic plants
Clapper Rail	NCS	SpSuFW-B	aquatic invertebrates*, fish, insects, seeds aquatic plants, oak, sedge
Sora	NCS	SpFW	seeds*, aquatic invertebrates, insects aquatic plants, grasses, sedge
N=north C=central S=south Sp=spring Su=summer F=fall W=winter B=breeds in Florida during season(s) underlined M=Migrant

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