The Coot (Fulica atra) is a very common wading bird. It is about the size of a chicken, black or dark grey with yellow lobate feet, and has a very distinctive white spot above the likewise white beak.
The coot lives mostly in lakes and moors with dense vegetation for nesting and enough water plants for nutrition. The habitat must have a minimum of open water. Outside the breeding season it can be seen in large flocks, also in coastal and brackish waters.
It eats water plants it picks from the bottom, usually close to the vegetation, or it grazes on land close the the waters edge. It can make short dives to get to the plants.
The coot can be rather noisy and aggressive at the beginning of the mating season in the early spring, especially the males, but otherwise they are quite calm.
Photo gallery for "Coot"
There are 88 photos in this gallery.
-
2005-06-19-183640 -
2005-06-19-183630 -
2005-06-19-183623 -
2005-06-19-183620 -
2005-06-19-190031 -
2005-03-06-165346 -
2005-03-06-172302 -
2004-07-14-151821 -
2004-07-14-151713 -
2004-05-28-173455 -
2004-05-28-172557 -
2004-05-28-163030 -
2004-05-28-163036 -
2004-01-29-122303 -
2004-01-29-122722 -
2003-08-16-185345 -
2003-08-16-185312 -
2003-08-16-183340 -
2003-08-16-183326 -
2003-08-16-183317 -
2003-08-16-183247 -
2003-08-16-182049 -
2003-08-16-181819 -
2003-08-16-181805 -
2003-08-16-181658 -
2003-08-16-181609 -
2003-08-16-181607 -
2003-08-16-181520 -
2003-08-16-181511 -
2003-08-16-181400 -
2003-08-16-181351 -
2003-08-16-185311 -
2003-08-16-185310 -
2003-08-16-185233 -
2003-08-16-185233a -
2003-08-16-185232 -
2003-08-16-185224 -
2003-08-16-185014 -
2003-08-16-184928 -
2003-08-16-184916 -
2003-08-16-184902 -
2003-08-16-184445 -
2003-03-13-151857 -
2003-03-13-150934 -
2003-03-13-150920 -
2003-03-13-150914 -
2002-08-11-160249 -
2002-07-09-171659 -
2002-07-09-170615 -
2002-07-09-165834 -
2002-07-09-165734 -
2002-07-09-165514 -
2002-07-09-090803 -
2002-06-26-142244 -
2002-06-26-142123 -
2002-06-26-142018 -
2002-06-26-142005 -
2002-06-26-141032 -
2002-06-26-141011 -
2002-06-26-131600 -
2002-06-26-131555 -
2002-06-26-131548 -
2002-06-26-135420 -
2002-06-26-135410 -
2002-06-26-135123 -
2002-06-26-134748 -
2002-06-16-181109 -
2002-06-16-183431 -
2002-06-16-181446 -
2002-06-05-141841 -
2002-06-05-141838 -
2002-06-05-141726 -
2002-06-05-140617 -
2002-06-05-140551 -
2002-06-05-140539 -
2002-06-05-140525 -
2002-06-05-141233 -
2002-06-05-141118 -
2002-06-05-141117 -
2002-06-05-141117a -
2002-06-05-141115 -
2001-12-31-130540 -
2001-12-31-130435 -
2001-12-31-130407 -
2001-12-22-145132 -
2001-07-22-135316 -
2001-07-22-135310 -
2001-07-20-191346