The Hawaiian Coot is an endemic bird of the Hawaiian Islands and is on the Federal List of Endangered Species. According to refuge specialists, some 80 nests have been observed in the Kealia Ponds NWR during the 2007-2008 season which is up substantially from a year earlier. This bird was formerly treated as a race of the American Coot (F. americana). The Hawaiian coot differs from the American coot in the size and shape of the knob on the front of its head. A small percentage have a red shield and black bill similar to the American Coot.
