Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra
The Eurasian coot is a medium-sized water bird belonging to the rail family. It is characterized by almost entirely black plumage and a contrasting white frontal shield and bill. The feet feature prominent lobed toes instead of full webs. It inhabits stagnant or slow-moving waters with well-developed reed beds.
Details
Identification
Black plumage, white bill, white frontal shield, red iris, grey legs with large lobed toes.
Social behavior
Extremely territorial and aggressive towards conspecifics during the breeding season; highly gregarious in large flocks during winter.
Diet
Omnivorous; primarily aquatic plants (algae, pondweeds), but also insects, snails, mussels, and occasionally human waste in parks.
Hunting strategy
Dabbling on the surface, short dives (up to 2-5m), and grazing on terrestrial vegetation.
Spawning substrate
Nesting platform made of dead plant material in reed beds or on floating vegetation mats.
Overwintering
Overwintering on ice-free inland waters or in protected coastal areas.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important consumer of macrophytes; serves as prey for larger raptors and predatory mammals.
Natural predators
White-tailed eagle, marsh harrier, fox, brown rat (eggs), northern pike (chicks).
Competitor species
Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), various duck species (Anatidae) during foraging.
Ecosystem service
Regulation of aquatic vegetation and nutrient transfer between water and land.
Threats
Destruction of riparian vegetation, disturbance by water sports, predation by invasive species like the American mink.
Scientific profile
Morphology & ID
Breeding plumage
Slaty-black plumage, with the head and neck usually darker. Prominent white frontal shield and bright red iris.
Non-breeding plumage
Similar to breeding plumage, but the white frontal shield is often slightly reduced and the overall coloration is duller.
Juvenile plumage
Grey-brown plumage with a paler, whitish throat and foreneck. The white frontal shield is absent or only rudimentary; bill is dark.
Sexual dimorphism
Minimal; males are on average slightly heavier and possess a marginally larger frontal shield than females.
Distinguishing features
Pure white bill and frontal shield; lobed toes instead of full webs; characteristic head-pumping motion while swimming.
Confusion species
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), which features a red frontal shield, a yellow bill tip, and a white line along the flanks.
Bill
Strong, conically shaped and pure white, merging seamlessly into the white frontal shield.
Vocalization
Song
No melodic song; instead, a series of rhythmic, often metallic calls.
Call
Versatile repertoire: explosive 'pitt', harsh 'kick', or barking 'kow'. Females often give a nasal 'kev' call.
Distribution & migration
Breeding range
Widespread across Eurasia (from Western Europe to Japan), North Africa, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Wintering range
Partial migrant; populations from Northern and Eastern Europe move to Western and Southern Europe or North Africa. Often resident in Central Europe.
Migration details
Mostly resident in Central Europe; during prolonged frost, birds move to ice-free waters (weather-induced migration).
Habitat
Breeding habitat
Eutrophic standing waters (lakes, ponds) or slow-flowing rivers with well-developed marginal vegetation and reed beds.
Foraging habitat
Open water surfaces for diving; muddy shores and adjacent grasslands for grazing.
Breeding biology
Nest construction
Large structure made of reed stalks, rushes, and aquatic plants; usually anchored in reeds or constructed as a floating platform.
Eggs
Creamy yellow to light grey with uniform, fine black-brown speckling.
Parental care
Both parents feed the precocial chicks; after about 4 days, the young leave the nest and the brood is often divided between the parents.
Diet & behaviour
Diet breeding
Omnivorous: Predominantly aquatic plants (algae, pondweeds), but also insects, snails, mussels, and occasionally small fish.
Diet winter
Primarily vegetarian: Aquatic plants, grasses, and algae; in urban areas also anthropogenic sources like bread.
Feeding technique
Diving (up to approx. 2m depth), dabbling, picking from the water surface, and grazing on land.
Foraging strategy
Opportunistic omnivore; utilizes both aquatic and terrestrial food sources depending on availability.
Sociality
Strictly territorial during the breeding season; highly gregarious in winter, often forming flocks of several thousand individuals.
Flock behaviour
Formation of large aggregations on ice-free lakes in winter; collective take-off when threatened, accompanied by loud splashing.
Protection & threats
Main threats
Loss of reed beds due to shoreline development, disturbance from water sports, predation by invasive species (e.g., mink), and botulism.
Population trend
Stable; however, in some regions of Central Europe, there are local declines due to habitat loss and decreasing water quality.
Conservation measures
Protection and restoration of reed zones, establishment of quiet zones on water bodies, and maintenance of water quality.