About the Mascarene Coot
The Mascarene coot is an extinct species of coot that inhabited the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion. Long known from subfossil bones found in the Mare aux Songes swamp on the former island, but only assumed from descriptions to also have been present on the latter, remains have more recently been found on Réunion also. Early travellers' reports from Mauritius were, in reverse, generally assumed to refer to common moorhens, but it seems that this species only colonized the island after the extinction of the endemic coot.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Gruiformes |
| Family | Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae) |
| Species | Fulica newtonii |
| Species Codes | mascoo1, MACO |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Mascarene Coot belong to?
The Mascarene Coot (Fulica newtonii) belongs to the Rails, Gallinules, and Coots family (Rallidae), in the order Gruiformes.
How can I identify the Mascarene Coot?
The Mascarene coot is an extinct species of coot that inhabited the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion. Long known from subfossil bones found in the Mare aux Songes swamp on the former island, but only assumed from descriptions to also have been present on the latter, remains have more recen...
Where can I report a Mascarene Coot sighting?
You can log sightings of Mascarene Coot on eBird (ebird.org) using species code mascoo1, or on iNaturalist.