Rails and coots · Cranes and rails
Eurasian Coot
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Fulica atra
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Body length 36–38 cm
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Adults: dark body, white bill and frontal shield
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Swims on open water, head bobbing
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Takes off with a splashing run across the water
About the species
Against a dark slate body, the glossy black head is set off by a bright white bill and a matching shield above it. The chest and belly are a little lighter grey, and a red eye adds a small spot of color. Its long toes spread into scalloped lobes that help it paddle.
It bobs its head as it swims and may make a small jump before diving. If it needs to fly, it runs across the water in a flurry of splashes; during a territorial dispute, it may make the same dash without taking off. Its voice is noisy, with crackling calls and short trumpeting notes, often heard at night.
Freshwater lakes and ponds suit it, including those in parks and gardens, especially where reeds and other water plants grow. It feeds on plants, algae, seeds and fruit on land or in water, and also takes small live prey. It stays year-round in milder regions, while much of the Asian population moves south and west in winter as waters freeze.
Did you know?
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Collective dive against the harrier
When a harrier strikes, young coots don't scatter but pack into a tight flock and dive all at once, throwing up a wall of spray — one of the rarest cases of collective predator defence among birds.
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Coral-billed, orange-tipped chick
A newly hatched coot chick looks more dressed up than its parents: black down with bright orange tips on the head, red skin on the crown, a coral-red bill with a white tip.
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Where to find
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At a pond in a city park, the Eurasian coot swims in open water with its head bobbing.
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During the breeding season, watch pairs rush toward each other and separate in shallow water among reeds.
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Along a grassy freshwater shore, look for feeding on land.
