The Eurasian coot, 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. It has a slaty-black body, a glossy black head and a white bill with a white frontal shield. The sexes are similar in appearance.
Region
Europe, Asia, and Australasia
Typical Environment
Occurs widely on lowland lakes, ponds, reservoirs, slow-flowing rivers, and marshes with ample emergent vegetation. It favors open freshwater but also uses brackish lagoons and sheltered coastal inlets outside the breeding season. Breeding typically takes place in reedbeds or dense aquatic vegetation where floating platform nests can be anchored. In winter it gathers on large water bodies, including urban parks and man-made wetlands. It adapts well to eutrophic waters and modified landscapes.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This coot has lobed toes rather than webbed feet, letting it run across the water’s surface during takeoff and dive efficiently. Its gleaming white bill and frontal shield inspired the phrase “bald as a coot.” Chicks hatch with striking orange-red head frills, and adults can be remarkably aggressive in defending territories.
The shield
Legs and feet of Eurasian coot in St James's Park, London
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden, Germany
Temperament
territorial and assertive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats after a running takeoff; low, direct flight
Social Behavior
Pairs form during the breeding season and build floating platform nests anchored in reeds; both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing. Outside breeding, they can gather in large, loose flocks on open water. Territorial disputes involve dramatic chasing, wing-flapping, and feet-first kicking on the water surface.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud, sharp, and grating—series of keks, koks, and squeaks used for contact and alarm. Not a melodious singer, its calls carry well over open water and are frequent during territorial encounters.
Plumage
Uniform slaty-black to charcoal body with a glossy black head and contrasting white bill and frontal shield; undertail coverts show white flashes in flight.
Diet
Primarily consumes aquatic vegetation, algae, and seeds, supplemented with insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and small amphibians. It will graze on bankside grass and occasionally snatch food from other waterbirds. Foraging includes diving, up-ending, and surface gleaning. Diet composition varies seasonally with plant growth and invertebrate availability.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shallow margins, among submerged macrophytes, and over open water near reedbeds. It often exploits human-made water bodies such as reservoirs and park lakes, where it can become accustomed to people.
