Coot
Fulica atra
51.5073, -0.12766
Field Notes
Description:
All-black and larger than its cousin, the moorhen, it has a distinctive white beak and 'shield' above the beak which earns it the title 'bald'. Its feet have distinctive lobed flaps of skin on the toes, which act instead of webs when swimming. It patters noisily over the water before taking off and can be very aggressive towards others.
Notes:
Spotted in St James park in London.
Comments (6)