Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Global Range: (250-20,000 square km (about 100-8000 square miles)) Historic breeding range: apparently from Tomales Bay and San Francisco Bay area (including Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta) south along coast to northern Baja California, San Bernardino/Riverside area, Salton Sea, and along lower Colorado River north of Yuma in Arizona and California; wintered in breeding range (California Department of Fish and Game 1990). Probably now absent as a breeder from coastal southern California; status as breeder in Riverside area unknown (California Department of Fish and Game 1990). As of the late 1980s, the bulk of the population was confined to the northern reaches of the San Francisco Bay estuary, especially the tidal marshland of San Pablo Bay and associated rivers; several small, fragment subpopulations still existed at Tomales Bay, Bolinas Lagoon, Morro Bay, and in southeastern California and western Arizona (Evens et al. 1991). Near the Salton Sea, southern Calfornia, occurs in the Whitewater River delta and near Salt Creek (Biosystems Analysis 1989). less ↑

The American Coot (Fulica americana) (a.k.a. mud hen) is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken to be ducks, American Coots belong to a distinct order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land. Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots... less ↑