Red-Knobbed Coot
Fulica cristata
Also known as: Crested Coot
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
826 g
About This Species
Look for this waterbird on open lakes, reservoirs and slow rivers across the Iberian Peninsula and much of sub-Saharan Africa, where it swims low with its dark body and pale bill, often among flocks of the more widespread Common Coot. It feeds by diving for aquatic plants and invertebrates and is most active and visible through the morning. Breeding season brings noisy territorial disputes on open water, which is often the easiest time to pick it out.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a reasonable distance from shore or use a hide rather than walking directly toward open water where birds are feeding or nesting, since coots readily flush from close approach.
- Legal protections for waterbirds differ between Spain, Portugal and the various African range states, so avoid assuming one jurisdiction's rules apply elsewhere.
- Give floating nests and chicks extra space, as disturbance during breeding is the main risk to this species.
LCAvesGruiformesRallidae
Seasonal Activity
233,423 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 826 g
Photo
(c) Blake Jordan Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Blake Jordan Johnson
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.