Status and Breeding of Caribbean Coot in the Netherlands Antilles

摘要

The Caribbean Coot (Fulica caribaea) is endemic to the Caribbean region where it is uncommon to rare. Little is known about its breeding biology. From museum specimens, archives and correspondence, we document 134 records for Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, from the years 1955-2004, and map their distribution. The islands are arid and rainfall can be unpredictable but with the establishment of permanent freshwater ponds since the 1970s, the Caribbean Coot appears to have become morecommon. We recorded 68 cases of breeding for the three islands. Although breeding can occur in almost any month, there is a clear preponderance for birds to breed in the first few calendar months of the year, approximately three months after the annualpeak in rainfall.