The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), also known as the common coot, or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and parts of North Africa.[3] It has a slaty-black body, a glossy black head and a white bill with a white frontal shield. The sexes are similar. Similar looking coot species are found throughout the world, with the largest variety of coot species living in South America.
The Eurasian coot is 36–38 cm (14–15 in) in length with a wing-span of 70–80 cm (28–31 in); males weigh around 890 g (31 oz) and females 750 g (26 oz).[9] It is largely black except for the white bill and frontal shield (which gives rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot", in use as early as 1430).[10] As a swimming species, the coot has partial webbing on its long strong toes. The sexes are similar in appearance.[11]
The juvenile is paler than the adult, has a whitish breast, and lacks the facial shield; the adult black plumage develops when about 3–4 months old, but the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old.
The Eurasian coot is a noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often given at night.
Distribution and habitat
The coot breeds across much of the Old World on freshwater lakes and ponds. It occurs and breeds in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The species has recently expanded its range into New Zealand. It is resident in the milder parts of its range, but migrates further south and west from much of Asia in winter as the waters freeze.
Behaviour and ecology
The Eurasian coot is much less secretive than most of the rail family, and can be seen swimming on open water or walking across waterside grasslands. It is an aggressive species, and strongly territorial during the breeding season, and both parents are involved in territorial defence.[12] During the non-breeding season they may form large flocks, possibly related to predator avoidance.[13]
It is reluctant to fly and when taking off runs across the water surface with much splashing. It does the same, but without actually flying, when travelling a short distance at speed in territorial disputes or on land to escape from intruders. As with many rails, its weak flight does not inspire confidence, but on migration, usually at night, it can cover surprisingly large distances. It bobs its head as it swims, and makes short dives from a little jump.
When fighting other waterbirds (especially other coots), the coot attacks by charging its opponent and striking them with its long legs.[14]
The nest is a bulky structure that either floats on the water or is built in shallow water on a low or barely submerged stump or log, making a neat, large bowl. It is constructed of plant stems and leaves with a lining of finer material. Normally concealed in vegetation the nest can sometimes be placed in the open. It is built by both sexes with the male collecting most of the material which is incorporated by the female. The eggs are laid at daily intervals. The clutch usually contains between six and ten smooth and slightly glossy buff coloured eggs that are covered with black or dark brown speckles. On average they are 53 mm × 36 mm (2.1 in × 1.4 in) and weigh 38 g (1.3 oz). The eggs are incubated by both sexes beginning after the second egg is laid and hatch asynchronously after 21 to 24 days. The chicks are precocial and nidifugous.[15] The chicks are covered with a black down. On the body the down has yellow hair-like tips. On the sides of the head, nape and throat the hair-like tips are longer and orange-red. Between the eyes and on the lores, the tips are red. The shield is bright red and the bill is red with a white tip.[16] The young are brooded by the female for the first three to four days during which time food is brought by the male. The male also builds one or more platforms that is used for roosting and brooding the chicks. On leaving the nest, the brood is sometimes split up with each parent taking care of a separate group. The young can feed themselves when they are around 30 days and fledge at 55 to 60 days. Eurasian coots normally only have a single brood each year but in some areas such as Britain they will sometimes attempt a second brood. They first breed when they are one to two years old.[15]
Chick mortality occurs mainly due to starvation rather than predation. Most chicks died in the first 10 days after hatching, when they are most dependent on adults for food.[17] Coots can be very brutal to their own young under pressure such as the lack of food. They will bite young that are begging for food and repeatedly do this until it stops begging. If the begging continues, they may bite so hard that the chick is killed.[18] Coots will also lay their eggs in the nests of other coots when their environment or physical condition limits their ability to breed, or to lengthen their reproductive life.[17]
The coot is an omnivore, and will take a variety of small live prey including the eggs of other water birds, as well as algae, vegetation, seeds and fruit.[19] It shows considerable variation in its feeding techniques, grazing on land or in the water. In the water it may upend in the fashion of a mallard or dive in search of food.[20]
Status
The Eurasian coot is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
References
^BirdLife International (2019). "Fulica atra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T22692913A154269531. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22692913A154269531.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^Condon, H.T. (1975). Checklist of the Birds of Australia: Non-Passerines. Melbourne: Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. p. 57.
^Vladimír Bejček; Karel Štastný (1999). Bird Encyclopaedia. Rebo Productions. p. 122. ISBN9781840531497.
^Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 152.
^Peters, James Lee, ed. (1934). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 211.
^Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 58, 165. ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Flufftails, finfoots, rails, trumpeters, cranes, limpkin". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
^Boev, Zlatozar; Karaivanova, Elena (1998). "Fulica atra pontica subsp. n. from the Middle Holocene on the South Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria". Historia Naturalis Bulgarica. 9: 53–69.
^Cavé, A.J.; Visser, J.; Perdeck, A.C. (1989). "Size and quality of the Coot (Fulica atra) territory in relation to age of its tenants and neighbours" (PDF). Ardea. 77: 87–97.
^van den Hout, P.J. (2006). (PDF). Ardea. 94 (2): 271–274. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
^ ab"This Coot has a Secret! - NatureOutside". 20 June 2015.
^Attenborough, David (16 December 1998). "The Problems of Parenthood". The Life of Birds. Episode 9. 12 minutes in. BBC One.
^Martin R., Perrow; Schutten, J. Hans; Howes, John R.; Holzer, Tim; Madgwick, F. Jane; Jowitt, Adrian J.D. (1997). "Interactions between coot (Fulica atra) and submerged macrophytes: the role of birds in the restoration process". Hydrobiologia. 342/343: 241–255. doi:10.1023/A:1017007911190. S2CID 8235224.
^Bakker, Brigitte J.; Fordham, Robin A. (1993). "Diving behaviour of the Australian coot in a New Zealand lake" (PDF). Notornis. 40 (2): 131–136.
Sources
Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1980). "Fulica atra Coot". Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic: Volume II: Hawks to Bustards. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 599–610. ISBN978-0-19-857505-4.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fulica atra.
Wikispecies has information related to Fulica atra.
Eurasian coot photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
Feathers of Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) 2014-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
eurasian, coot, fulica, atra, also, known, common, coot, australian, coot, member, rail, crake, bird, family, rallidae, found, europe, asia, australia, zealand, parts, north, africa, slaty, black, body, glossy, black, head, white, bill, with, white, frontal, s. The Eurasian coot Fulica atra also known as the common coot or Australian coot is a member of the rail and crake bird family the Rallidae It is found in Europe Asia Australia New Zealand and parts of North Africa 3 It has a slaty black body a glossy black head and a white bill with a white frontal shield The sexes are similar Similar looking coot species are found throughout the world with the largest variety of coot species living in South America Eurasian coot source source Call recorded in Sydney AustraliaConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder GruiformesFamily RallidaeGenus FulicaSpecies F atraBinomial nameFulica atraLinnaeus 1758Range Breeding Resident Non breeding Vagrant seasonality uncertain SynonymsFulica aterrima Linnaeus 1766 Fulica prior De Vis 1888 2 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Behaviour and ecology 4 1 Breeding 4 2 Feeding 5 Status 6 References 7 Sources 8 External linksTaxonomy EditThe Eurasian coot was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Fulica atra 4 Linnaeus specified the locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden 5 The binomial name is from Latin Fulica means coot and atra means black 6 Four subspecies are recognised 7 F a atra Linnaeus 1758 Europe and north Africa to Japan India southeast Asia Philippines and Borneo F a lugubris Muller S 1847 Java Bali northwest New Guinea F a novaeguineae Rand 1940 central New Guinea F a australis Gould 1845 Australia and New ZealandAn extinct subspecies F atra pontica has been described from the Chalcolithic around 4800 4400 BP from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast 8 The shieldDescription Edit Legs and feet of Eurasian coot in St James s Park London The Eurasian coot is 36 38 cm 14 15 in in length with a wing span of 70 80 cm 28 31 in males weigh around 890 g 31 oz and females 750 g 26 oz 9 It is largely black except for the white bill and frontal shield which gives rise to the phrase as bald as a coot in use as early as 1430 10 As a swimming species the coot has partial webbing on its long strong toes The sexes are similar in appearance 11 The juvenile is paler than the adult has a whitish breast and lacks the facial shield the adult black plumage develops when about 3 4 months old but the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old The Eurasian coot is a noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling explosive or trumpeting calls often given at night Distribution and habitat EditThe coot breeds across much of the Old World on freshwater lakes and ponds It occurs and breeds in Europe Asia Australia and Africa The species has recently expanded its range into New Zealand It is resident in the milder parts of its range but migrates further south and west from much of Asia in winter as the waters freeze Behaviour and ecology EditThe Eurasian coot is much less secretive than most of the rail family and can be seen swimming on open water or walking across waterside grasslands It is an aggressive species and strongly territorial during the breeding season and both parents are involved in territorial defence 12 During the non breeding season they may form large flocks possibly related to predator avoidance 13 It is reluctant to fly and when taking off runs across the water surface with much splashing It does the same but without actually flying when travelling a short distance at speed in territorial disputes or on land to escape from intruders As with many rails its weak flight does not inspire confidence but on migration usually at night it can cover surprisingly large distances It bobs its head as it swims and makes short dives from a little jump When fighting other waterbirds especially other coots the coot attacks by charging its opponent and striking them with its long legs 14 Breeding Edit Eggs Collection Museum Wiesbaden Germany The nest is a bulky structure that either floats on the water or is built in shallow water on a low or barely submerged stump or log making a neat large bowl It is constructed of plant stems and leaves with a lining of finer material Normally concealed in vegetation the nest can sometimes be placed in the open It is built by both sexes with the male collecting most of the material which is incorporated by the female The eggs are laid at daily intervals The clutch usually contains between six and ten smooth and slightly glossy buff coloured eggs that are covered with black or dark brown speckles On average they are 53 mm 36 mm 2 1 in 1 4 in and weigh 38 g 1 3 oz The eggs are incubated by both sexes beginning after the second egg is laid and hatch asynchronously after 21 to 24 days The chicks are precocial and nidifugous 15 The chicks are covered with a black down On the body the down has yellow hair like tips On the sides of the head nape and throat the hair like tips are longer and orange red Between the eyes and on the lores the tips are red The shield is bright red and the bill is red with a white tip 16 The young are brooded by the female for the first three to four days during which time food is brought by the male The male also builds one or more platforms that is used for roosting and brooding the chicks On leaving the nest the brood is sometimes split up with each parent taking care of a separate group The young can feed themselves when they are around 30 days and fledge at 55 to 60 days Eurasian coots normally only have a single brood each year but in some areas such as Britain they will sometimes attempt a second brood They first breed when they are one to two years old 15 Chick mortality occurs mainly due to starvation rather than predation Most chicks died in the first 10 days after hatching when they are most dependent on adults for food 17 Coots can be very brutal to their own young under pressure such as the lack of food They will bite young that are begging for food and repeatedly do this until it stops begging If the begging continues they may bite so hard that the chick is killed 18 Coots will also lay their eggs in the nests of other coots when their environment or physical condition limits their ability to breed or to lengthen their reproductive life 17 adult with chicks Trujillo Spain chick in Marais Audomarois France source source source source source source source source source source source source source source Chick picking through wet leaves in SwedenFeeding Edit The coot is an omnivore and will take a variety of small live prey including the eggs of other water birds as well as algae vegetation seeds and fruit 19 It shows considerable variation in its feeding techniques grazing on land or in the water In the water it may upend in the fashion of a mallard or dive in search of food 20 Status EditThe Eurasian coot is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds AEWA applies References Edit BirdLife International 2019 Fulica atra IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019 e T22692913A154269531 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2019 3 RLTS T22692913A154269531 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Condon H T 1975 Checklist of the Birds of Australia Non Passerines Melbourne Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union p 57 Vladimir Bejcek Karel Stastny 1999 Bird Encyclopaedia Rebo Productions p 122 ISBN 9781840531497 Linnaeus Carl 1758 Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus differentiis synonymis locis in Latin Vol 1 10th ed Holmiae Stockholm Laurentii Salvii p 152 Peters James Lee ed 1934 Check List of Birds of the World Vol 2 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press p 211 Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm pp 58 165 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 Gill Frank Donsker David Rasmussen Pamela eds 2020 Flufftails finfoots rails trumpeters cranes limpkin IOC World Bird List Version 10 1 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 1 June 2020 Boev Zlatozar Karaivanova Elena 1998 Fulica atra pontica subsp n from the Middle Holocene on the South Black Sea Coast Bulgaria Historia Naturalis Bulgarica 9 53 69 Cramp 1980 pp 599 610 Coot Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required Cramp 1980 p 599 Cave A J Visser J Perdeck A C 1989 Size and quality of the Coot Fulica atra territory in relation to age of its tenants and neighbours PDF Ardea 77 87 97 van den Hout P J 2006 Dense foraging flotillas of Eurasian coots Fulica atra explained by predation by Ganges soft shell turtle Aspideretus gangeticus PDF Ardea 94 2 271 274 Archived from the original PDF on 2015 06 10 Retrieved 2015 06 10 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra www birdwords co uk Retrieved 2020 04 14 a b Cramp 1980 pp 608 609 Cramp 1980 p 609 a b This Coot has a Secret NatureOutside 20 June 2015 Attenborough David 16 December 1998 The Problems of Parenthood The Life of Birds Episode 9 12 minutes in BBC One Martin R Perrow Schutten J Hans Howes John R Holzer Tim Madgwick F Jane Jowitt Adrian J D 1997 Interactions between coot Fulica atra and submerged macrophytes the role of birds in the restoration process Hydrobiologia 342 343 241 255 doi 10 1023 A 1017007911190 S2CID 8235224 Bakker Brigitte J Fordham Robin A 1993 Diving behaviour of the Australian coot in a New Zealand lake PDF Notornis 40 2 131 136 Sources EditCramp Stanley ed 1980 Fulica atra Coot Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa The Birds of the Western Palearctic Volume II Hawks to Bustards Oxford Oxford University Press pp 599 610 ISBN 978 0 19 857505 4 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fulica atra Wikispecies has information related to Fulica atra Eurasian coot photo gallery at VIREO Drexel University Ageing and sexing PDF 1 8 MB by Javier Blasco Zumeta amp Gerd Michael Heinze Feathers of Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Archived 2014 04 19 at the Wayback Machine BirdLife species factsheet for Fulica atra Fulica atra Avibase Audio recordings of Eurasian coot on Xeno canto Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eurasian coot amp oldid 1136832352, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
