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Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン

The Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), called Sothöna in Skåne, also known as coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The scientific name is from Latin; Fulica is "coot", and atra is "black". It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia and parts of Africa. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian coot.

Distribution
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

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン, Sothöna
California Quail, Callipepla californica
Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net
www.oiseaux.net is one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Range of F. atra
By Viktor Kravtchenko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3036622

Description
The Eurasian coot is 32–42 cm long and weighs 585–1,100 g, and is largely black except for the white frontal shield (which gave rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot", in use as early as 1430). As a swimming species, the coot has partial webbing on its long strong toes.

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.

This is a noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often given at night.

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Skeleton
Adolf Bernhard Meyer (1840-1911) - Abbildungen von Vogel-Skeletten. Volume II 1897


Listen to the Eurasian Coot

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder, applied High Pass Filter in Audacity

Coot baby making sound while the parents improve the nest. A dry summer and a sudden rain and they need to raise the nest. The parents brings sticks and twigs and I can see that the small baby help as much as it can. See video.


www.xeno-canto.org






Bird watching in Sefton Park, Liverpool, United Kingdom and I saw a very funny thing. I walked by an abandoned nest in the lake. A Eurasian Coot came swimming and the Coot climbed up on the nest to inspect the nest. Maybe something to move in to?

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot inspecting a nest
Sefton Park, Liverpool - August 2018

It was very funny to see the Coot stepping up in to the nest like a King thinking “well, what do we have here?” The bird looked just like a guy looking to buy an old second hand car kicking the tyres. I could hear the banging when the bird was kicking the sticks.

The Coot was obviously not impressed and left the nest. The whole thing just took a few seconds and when the Coot disappeared I was swearing. DARN! DARN! I should have taken a video!


Behaviour
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.

Aggressive

I can confirm that the Euraasian Coot is really aggressive. I was in Western Springs, Auckland - October 2017 and they were attacking everything. Big swans were chased away. I was walking along the path when one Eurasian Coot jumped up from the pond and came charging against me.

The bird was really angry and the bird was going to fight me. The bird stopped and looked at me, realizing that I might be a wee bit too much. The bird turned around and went back in to the pond

Otherwise the Eurasian Coots are kind of booring, but if you see them during the breeding season, you can expect a show!


Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
One upset Eurasian Coot chasing another Coot scaring the other birds
Änssjön, Östersund, Sweden - July 2018

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
The upset Eurasian Coot cught up with the other Coot
Änssjön, Östersund, Sweden - July 2018
Can you see the second Coot?

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
The Coot get away and the peace settles over the lake
Änssjön, Östersund, Sweden - July 2018


During the non-breeding season they may form large flocks, possibly related to predator avoidance.

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.

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.

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot feeding the baby
Western Springs, Auckland - October 2017

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot feeding the baby
Western Springs, Auckland - October 2017


Breeding
This species builds a nest of dead reeds or grasses, but also pieces of paper or plastic near the water's edge or on underwater obstacles protruding from the water, laying up to 10 eggs, sometimes 2 or 3 times per season. Usually only a few young survive. They are frequent prey for birds such as herons and gulls.

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. 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 and starves to death. If the begging continues, they may bite so hard that the chick is killed.

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.

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot with nest material
Ullstämma Ekängssjön, Sweden - April 2021

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot with nest material
Ullstämma Ekängssjön, Sweden - April 2021

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot with nest material
Ullstämma Ekängssjön, Sweden - April 2021

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot sitting on eggs in the nest
Western Springs, Auckland - October 2017

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot sitting on eggs in the nest
Western Springs, Auckland - October 2017

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot sitting on eggs in the nest
Western Springs, Auckland - October 2017


Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden, Germany
By Klaus Rassinger und Gerhard Cammerer, Museum Wiesbaden - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37097565


Diet
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. 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.

Eurasian Coot feeding
Yatsu Tidal Flat, Tokyo - April 2019


Status
The Eurasian coot is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Fossil record
An extinct subspecies (Fulica atra pontica) has been described from the Eneolithic (around 4800-4400 BP) of Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

Listen to the Eurasian Coot

www.xeno-canto.org


Conservation status
Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Least concern (IUCN 3.1)
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2.
International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.birdforum.net


Sighted: 4 April 2021 (Date of first photo that I could use)
Location: Hornborgasjön--Naturum


Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot / Sothöna
4 April 2021 - Hornborgasjön--Naturum

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot / Sothöna
17 April 2021 - Hornborgasjön--Naturum

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot / Sothöna
17 April 2021 - Hornborgasjön--Naturum

Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, Sothöna, オオバン
Eurasian Coot / Sothöna
17 April 2021 - Hornborgasjön--Naturum




Bird watching

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