HUNTING HORIZONS - Worldwide Hunting Seasons Database

The Coot [Fulica atra], less secretive than most of the Rail family, occurs and breeds across much of the Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa; recently expanding its range into New Zealand. It is resident in the milder parts of its range, migrating further south and west from much of Asia in winter.
LENGTH: 36-42 cm WEIGHT: 800 g WINGSPAN: 75 cm
MALE & FEMALE: Long, largely black / charcoal grey except for the white facial shield and as a swimming species has partial webbing on its long strong toes.
JUVENILE: Paler than the adult, has a whitish breast, and lacks the facial shield; the adult black plumage develops when about 3-4 months old, the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old.
HABITAT: An aggressive species, strongly territorial during the breeding season, wintering on large lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. The Coot can be seen swimming on open water or walking across waterside grasslands.
FEEDING: An omnivore taking a variety of small live prey, the eggs of other water birds, algae, vegetation, seeds and fruit. It shows considerable variation in its feeding techniques, grazing on land or in the water.
CALL: A noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often given at night it breeds on the edges of lakes, ponds and rivers
FLIGHT: It is reluctant to fly and when taking off runs across the water surface with much splashing; doing the same, but without actually flying, when travelling a short distance. As with many rails, its weak flight does not inspire confidence, but on migration, usually at night, it can cover surprisingly large distances.