Fulica atra
An all-black waterbird with a brilliant white shield.
Size: 38 cm | Habitat: Pond & Lake Birds | Season: All year
Entirely sooty black except for a bright white bill and a matching white shield on the forehead, the coot is a common and often quarrelsome sight on lakes and larger ponds.
All-black plumage · white bill and forehead shield · red eyes · lobed toes (not webbed) for swimming
Coots dive for food and are notably aggressive toward rivals, chasing off other coots and ducks from their territory with splashy, flapping charges.
The phrase 'bald as a coot' comes from that bright white forehead shield, which stands out clearly even from a distance.
The Coot (Fulica atra) is entirely sooty black except for a bright white bill and a matching white shield across the forehead, the feature behind the old phrase 'bald as a coot'. Unlike ducks, its toes are lobed rather than webbed, an adaptation that works well for both swimming and walking across waterside vegetation.
Coots dive for food, including aquatic plants and small invertebrates, and are notably aggressive toward rivals, chasing off other coots and even ducks from their territory with splashy, wing-flapping charges. This combativeness is especially pronounced during the breeding season, when disputes over territory and mates are common.
Understanding the coot reveals how a strikingly simple black-and-white appearance can belie one of the most fiercely territorial and competitive temperaments among British waterbirds.
🟢 Conservation status: Green (UK Birds of Conservation Concern 5)
Green-listed, with a stable and widespread UK population on lakes, gravel pits, and larger ponds. Coots benefit from a mix of open water for diving and fringing vegetation for nesting and cover.