Eurasian coot
A widespread waterbird with a white bill and aggressive territorial behaviour.
The rail and crake family Rallidae includes the Eurasian coot, which is also called the common coot or Australian coot.[1] A white bill and frontal shield contrast with the bird's slaty-black body and glossy black head.[1] Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus gave the Eurasian coot its current binomial name Fulica atra in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae, published in 1758.[2]
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Fulica
- Species
- atra
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
The Eurasian coot is 36–38 cm in length with a wing-span of 70 to 80 cm, and males weigh around 890 g while females weigh 750 g.[3] 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.[4] For swimming, the coot's long, strong toes possess partial webbing.[3] No visible differences exist between male and female coots.[5]
Freshwater lakes and ponds across much of the Old World serve as breeding grounds for the coot, which has successfully adapted to urban settings.[6] Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa are all regions where the species breeds and occurs.[6] New Zealand is a recent addition to the species' range.[6] While populations in milder areas remain year-round, those in much of Asia migrate south and west during winter when water bodies freeze.[6]
During the breeding season, this aggressive species is highly territorial, with both parents defending the territory.[4] A large, bulky nest is constructed, either floating on water or placed in shallow water atop a low stump or barely submerged log.[5]
What the specialist sources record
The "Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names" published by Christopher Helm in 2010 provides the etymology of the binomial name Fulica atra.[7][2] The birdwords.co.uk account notes that the Eurasian coot's air is filled with its short-tempered “kut” calls, giving it its name.[8] The same account describes an aggressive threat display called the “splattering attack” where adult coots fight with their feet, leaning back in the water and striking each other with their long legs.[8] The NatureOutside article states that coots are conspecific brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other coots.[9]
The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy accepts Fulica atra as a species within the family Rallidae, with 6,019,741 occurrence records.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Eurasian coot" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Bird Encyclopaedia", Rebo Productions, 1999, p. 122 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Eurasian coot" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Linnaeus, "Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis", Laurentii Salvii, 1758, p. 152; "Check-List of Birds of the World", Harvard University Press, 1934, p. 211; Jobling, "The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names", Christopher Helm, 2010, p. 58, 165 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Eurasian coot" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cramp 1980, p. 599, 610; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Eurasian coot" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cavé, "Size and quality of the Coot (Fulica atra) territory in relation to age of its tenants and neighbours", Ardea, 1989, p. 87–97; van den Hout, "Dense foraging flotillas of Eurasian coots Fulica atra explained by predation by Ganges soft-shell turtle Aspideretus gangeticus?", Ardea, 2006, p. 271–274 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Eurasian coot" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cramp 1980, p. 599, 610 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Eurasian coot" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) - North American Birds - Birds of North America", www.birds-of-north-america.net (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9781408125014 ("The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
- "Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)", www.birdwords.co.uk. facts only, no text reused. birdwords.co.uk
- "This Coot has a Secret! - NatureOutside", 20 June 2015. facts only, no text reused. natureoutside.com
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Fulica atra (taxon key 2474377). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Eurasian coot (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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