Eurasian Coot

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Common bird: +1 point when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Lakes, reservoirs.
Diet: Aquatic plants, invertebrates.
Best time to spot: All-black with white shield.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

How rare is it?

The Eurasian Coot sits in our Common tier for the UK: one of the birds you can expect on most days out in the right habitat. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• American CootLegendary · Lakes (very rare vagrant)
• Great Crested GrebeCommon · Lakes
• Tufted DuckCommon · Lakes
• Common PochardUncommon · Reservoirs
• Canada GooseCommon · Lakes
• Common GullCommon · Reservoirs

Kit that helps

Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.