European coot

Eurasian coots are also called common or Australian coots. Coots are aquatic birds skilled in swimming and diving. They feed on plants and various animals they find in the water, as well as grains, seeds, and the eggs and young of other birds. Eurasian coots look like large, black ducks with large white patches of feathers between their eyes.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Gruiformes

Family: Rallidae

Genus: Fulica

Species: Atra

Eurasian coots are found in Asia, Europe, North Africa, and New Zealand. They make their homes in marshes, ponds, reservoirs, slow-moving rivers, flooded gravel pits, and even in the lakes of city parks where they may be quite tame. They build their nests from vegetation and other materials and hide them among the vegetation near the water's edge. The nests usually float on top of the water but are always anchored or attached to reeds or branches on shore. Heavy rains may cause the water level to rise and flood the nests. Coots may try to build walls around their nests at these times. Drought may cause the water level to drop, which means the nests are within easier reach of land predators, such as foxes and hedgehogs, which steal the eggs or kill the chicks.

The Eurasian coot’s round, plump body is 14 to 16 inches (35 to 40 centimeters) long and weighs 26 to 31 ounces (750 to 890 grams). Their wings span an average of 27 1/2 to 31 1/2 inches (70 to 80 centimeters). The plumage, or feathering, of these birds is completely black. Their black faces have large, white patches called shields between their small, red eyes. Their medium-length, rounded bills are also white.

Although they feed in groups most of the year, the coots are aggressive and territorial during mating season. An intruding coot receives a warning from the other coot. The coot tries to look large and fierce by raising its wings and lowering its head to show its white shield and bill. It may also begin a splashing fight and utter sharp, loud, short calls. Fights may also involve clawing at each other with their sharp claws. Coots may even drive away swans and geese from their breeding grounds.

Eurasian coots mate and lay their eggs between March and May. The females lay 6 to 10 light-colored eggs which both parents incubate for 21 to 24 days. If eggs are lost or stolen, females may lay others to take their place. Three to four days after hatching, the young leave the nest. They become independent after 30 days and fledge, or can fly, around days 55 to 60. The oldest known Eurasian coot lived for 18 years, but the average lifespan is 5 years. In the northern parts of their range, coots migrate south in October and return north to breed in April.

The special design of the coots' feet allows them to swim and dive well. Lobes, or rounded folds of skin, surround each toe. This is different from webbed feet since the lobes are not connected. As the coot moves its feet downward in the water, the lobes spread out and provide more surface to push against the water. When the feet move upward, the lobes fall again and water moves more easily between the toes.

Coots eat freshwater plants and algae, aquatic insects, newts, tadpoles, and small fish. They feed like many ducks, tipping their tails into the air as they stick their heads underwater. They also dive completely under the surface up to 23 feet (7 meters) deep. On land, they find grain and seeds, as well as the eggs and young of other birds. Within a large flock, some coots may steal food from other coots.

If a bird of prey attacks a flock of coots, they fly quickly and noisily across the water, splashing with their wings and feet to hinder the predator.

Bibliography

"Coot." British Trust for Ornithology, www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/coot. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

"Coot." The Wildlife Trusts, www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/wading-birds/coot. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.