In the breeding season there are few creatures more aggressively territorial than a coot. Other birds coming near the nest get attacked, regardless of size. Mostly black, adults have a white frontal shield made from keratin above their white beak. It's the source of the phrase bald as a coot. Males and females are similar in appearance.
A coot's legs and feet look like they belong to a much larger bird. They're huge, enabling the coot to run at speed. The toes have lobed flaps of blue-grey skin which act as webbed feet. Just as well, since flying isn't a coot's strong point.
Coots eat just about anything. Their diet consists mainly of plant material drawn from underwater, but they'll have a go at seeds, fruit, small animals, eggs, and dive for fish. The bird is common on ponds and calmer rivers throughout England. Lifespan is typically five years, although there is a record of survival to fifteen years.
Chicks have a red head and beak with orange and black fluffy feathers. The nests are of plant material in shallow water. Chicks are fed on tiny shrimps and insects. After two months they're on their own. Plumage darkens from four months of age. It can take up to a year for the white frontal shield to develop. Normally only one brood is raised in a season, occasionally two.
With parents putting up such a strong defence of their nest, young coots are more likely to die from starvation than falling prey to predators. If there's a shortage they won't last a fortnight, so dependent are they on their parents for food. If the parents sense a lack of food, they'll pretty quickly reduce a batch of up to nine chicks down to a more manageable three by killing the weakest.
To see coots, walk around Hemingford Meadow. For more nature topics and walks, click Cambridgeshire Nature Watch.
