Hawaiian Coot
Fulica alai
NTNear Threatened Endemic to United States
- Family
- Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae)
- Order
- Gruiformes
Overview
The ʻAlae keʻokeʻo (Fulica alai), also known as the Hawaiian coot in English, is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae, that is endemic to Hawaii. In Hawaiian, ʻalae is a noun and means mud hen. Keʻo is an adjective for clear or white. It is similar to the American coot at 33–40.6 cm (13–16 in) in length and weighing around 700 g (1 lb 9 oz).
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Hawaiian Islands, breeding very locally on Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i; visits Läna‘i and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands westward to Kure Atoll.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Hawaiian coot
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
