Latin name - Fulica atra

Male and female Coots are similar in appearance, all black except for a white bill and frontal shield. The young are greyer in colour with a white throat. The Coot has very distinctive feet with flaps of skin on the toes to act as a web when swimming. Coots are usually found on freshwater bodies of water feeding on aquatic plants as well as snails and larvae brought up from the bottom. During winter it can sometimes be seen in shallow coastal water.