The Eurasian Coot, a familiar dark waterbird with a distinctive white face.
The Distinctive Waterbird of the Old World
The Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), also known as the common coot, is a widely recognized and often vocal member of the rail and crake bird family (Rallidae). Easily identified by its slaty-black body, glossy black head, and a striking white bill adorned with a prominent white frontal shield, this wetland bird is a common sight across lakes, ponds, and wetlands throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and parts of North Africa. Unlike many of its more secretive rail relatives, the Eurasian Coot is frequently observed swimming boldly in open water or grazing on waterside grasslands, where its head-bobbing motion and distinctive calls make it hard to miss.
Our Ornithologist's Tip
By the Les-Oiseaux.com team, published on Oktober 8, 2025.
My personal tip: To best observe Eurasian Coots, visit a freshwater lake or a large pond, especially one with both open water and dense marginal vegetation. Look for their characteristic white frontal shield and bill contrasting with their dark plumage. Pay attention to their behavior: you'll often see them diving underwater for food, sometimes disappearing for up to 15 seconds, or aggressively chasing other waterbirds during the breeding season. Listen for their varied, often explosive calls, which can be heard at any time of day, and often at night. It's a surprisingly dynamic bird once you start to watch closely.
Identifying the Eurasian Coot: Key Features
The white frontal shield and bill are key identification features of the Eurasian Coot.
The Eurasian Coot is a medium-sized, robust waterbird, measuring 36 to 38 cm (14–15 in) in length with a wingspan of 70 to 80 cm (28–31 in). Its compact body is supported by relatively long, strong legs with unique lobed toes, well-adapted for both swimming and walking on soft ground.
Plumage: Adults are almost entirely dark slate-grey to black, with a glossy black head and bright red eyes that stand out against the dark feathers.
Bill and Frontal Shield: Its most distinctive feature is its short, pointed white bill and a prominent, shield-like white patch extending onto its forehead. This feature is so striking that it gave rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot."
Sexual Dimorphism: Males and females are similar in appearance, though males can be slightly heavier and may have a more prominent frontal shield.
Juveniles: Young birds are paler than adults, with a whitish breast and throat, and lack the distinctive white frontal shield, which develops fully around one year of age. Their bills are often yellowish or dusky. Chicks are covered in black down with yellow hair-like tips, and their heads have distinctive orange-red tips, with a red frontal shield and a red bill tipped with white.
Legs and Feet: The legs are typically dark grey or silver-grey, and their large feet are notable for having lobed flaps of skin on the toes rather than full webbing, which aids in propulsion in water and movement on muddy surfaces.
Scientific Dimensions and Records (Eurasian Coot)
Characteristic
Male
Female
Record / Average
Length
36 – 38 cm
36 – 38 cm
36 – 38 cm (adults)
Weight
~890 g
~750 g
750 – 890 g (adults)
Wingspan
70 – 80 cm
70 – 80 cm
70 – 80 cm (adults)
Diet
Omnivore
Omnivore
Aquatic plants, seeds, insects, small aquatic animals
Life expectancy
Up to 20 years
Up to 20 years
Up to 20.6 years (in the wild)
These figures highlight the Eurasian Coot as a robust, medium-sized waterbird, well-adapted to its wetland environment across its extensive range.
Not to be confused with...
Common Moorhen
Similar in size and dark plumage, but distinguished by a bright red frontal shield and bill with a yellow tip, a brown back, white under the tail, and bright yellow-green legs with chicken-like feet. Often more secretive and found in denser vegetation.
Also a Coot species, but easily identified by the two prominent red knobs on its frontal shield, which are particularly noticeable during the breeding season. Its bill typically has less white than the Eurasian Coot.
Call: A Noisy Presence in Wetlands
The Eurasian Coot is known for its remarkably noisy and diverse vocalizations, a stark contrast to many of its more secretive rail relatives. Away from nesting sites, while foraging or resting, they can still be quite vocal. Their repertoire includes a variety of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often heard day and night.
Common calls include a distinct "tjek" or "kjek," which can become harsher, turning into a "kjak" or "kjrak" with excitement, particularly during inter-individual interactions. An alarm call is a loud, repeated "pit" or "pjit." Juveniles beg for food with a long, insistent "uiiiiiiiiiiiih." Uniquely, they can also emit "pett pett pett" sounds by hitting their lobed feet on the water surface, possibly for territorial display. During nocturnal migration, they produce characteristic "kjen ein ein ein ein" or "eeinn eeinn ein einnn" calls.
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Behavior: The Master Diver and Grazer
The Eurasian Coot is a highly adaptable and social bird, forming large flocks outside the breeding season, possibly as a predator avoidance strategy. During the breeding season, however, they become monogamous and fiercely territorial, with both parents aggressively defending their nesting site against rivals, even other waterbirds.
Their foraging behavior is diverse and efficient. Coots can be seen grazing on aquatic vegetation on land or on the water's surface, upending their bodies like mallards to reach submerged plants, or making impressive dives. They are capable of diving up to 7 meters deep and remaining submerged for up to 15 seconds to find food. Their diet is omnivorous, consisting of aquatic plants, seeds, insects, mollusks, small fish, and occasionally the eggs of other water birds.
Nesting involves both sexes building a bulky structure from reeds and aquatic plants, which often floats on the water or is built in shallow areas. These nests provide a safe cradle for their eggs. The female typically lays 6 to 10 smooth, buff-colored eggs speckled with black or dark brown, which are incubated by both parents for 21 to 24 days. Chicks are precocial and nidifugous, meaning they are relatively mature and mobile upon hatching. The male Coot also constructs additional platforms used for roosting and brooding the young, sometimes sharing habitat with species like the Common Moorhen.
Habitat and Distribution
The Eurasian Coot is strongly associated with large expanses of freshwater, though it can also be found in brackish and saline lagoons. It thrives in a variety of wetland habitats including lakes, ponds, marshes, estuaries, river deltas, and rivers. It readily adapts to human-altered landscapes and is commonly observed in urban parks and gardens with suitable water bodies, particularly those with abundant aquatic vegetation that provides food, shelter, and nesting materials.
Its geographical range is extensive, encompassing much of the Old World across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North Africa. While populations in milder climates may be resident year-round, many Asian populations migrate south and west during winter to avoid freezing waters.
Distribution Map
Conservation Status
The Eurasian Coot is currently listed as a species of "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its global population is considered stable, and in some regions, it may even be increasing. The species is also protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
Despite its secure status, the Eurasian Coot faces ongoing threats, primarily related to the loss and degradation of its wetland habitats due to agricultural drainage, urbanization, and pollution. Disturbance at nesting sites can also impact breeding success. Ongoing conservation efforts focus on wetland protection and management to ensure the continued health and stability of Coot populations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Eurasian Coot
What are the distinguishing features of a Eurasian Coot?
The Eurasian Coot is easily recognized by its dark slate-grey to black plumage, glossy black head, bright red eyes, and a striking white bill with a prominent white frontal shield. Its feet have distinctive lobed toes, unlike the fully webbed feet of ducks.
What does the Eurasian Coot eat?
The Eurasian Coot is omnivorous, with a diet primarily consisting of aquatic plants, seeds, and algae. It also consumes small aquatic animals such as insects, larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, small fish, and occasionally the eggs of other water birds.
How does the Eurasian Coot forage for food?
Eurasian Coots employ various feeding techniques. They graze on land or on the water's surface, upend like a mallard, and are skilled divers, capable of diving up to 7 meters deep for up to 15 seconds to find submerged vegetation and invertebrates.
Is the Eurasian Coot a migratory bird?
Yes, most populations of Eurasian Coots are migratory. While resident in milder parts of its range, populations from much of Asia migrate further south and west in winter as waters freeze.
Where can one observe the Eurasian Coot?
The Eurasian Coot can be found in a wide variety of freshwater habitats, including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, estuaries, and coastal lagoons. They are also common in urban environments like parks and gardens with water bodies, favoring areas with abundant aquatic vegetation.
