Eurasian Coot
Eurasian CootEurasian CootEurasian CootEurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Fulica atra

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Bhopal

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

27 Verified sightings at Bhopal
14,839 In all 43 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Eurasian Coot

The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), also known as the common coot or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and parts of North Africa. It has a slaty-black body, a glossy black head and a white bill with a white frontal shield. The sexes are similar in appearance.

The Eurasian coot was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Fulica atra. Linnaeus specified the locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden. The binomial name is from Latin: Fulica means 'coot', and atra means 'black'.

Four subspecies are recognised: An extinct subspecies F. atra pontica has been described from the Chalcolithic (around 4800–4400 BP) from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The Eurasian coot is 36–38... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:09

Sweden · 2026

© Dag Österlund · XC1153865 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call0:09

Belgium · 2026

© Filippo Ceccolini · XC1102370 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:08

Netherlands · 2024

© Susanne Kuijpers · XC879448 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~70%
2 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
3 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~60%
4 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~50%
5 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~40%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~30%
7 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~30%
8 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
9 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
10 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
11 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
12 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
13 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
14 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
15 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
16 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
17 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
18 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
19 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
20 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
21 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
22 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
23 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
24 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
25 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
26 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
27 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
28 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
29 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
30 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
31 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
<5%
32 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
33 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
34 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
35 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
36 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
37 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
38 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
39 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
40 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
41 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
42 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
43 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~90%
2 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~80%
3 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
~70%
4 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~70%
5 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~70%
6 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~70%
7 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~70%
8 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
9 Brussels 🇧🇪 Belgium
~60%
10 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Whipsnade Zoo 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
2 Beijing Wildlife Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
3 Szeged Zoo 🇭🇺 Hungary In captivity
4 Cleland Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
5 Mansfield Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
6 Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden 🇭🇺 Hungary In captivity
7 Marshalls Animal Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand In captivity
8 Valencia Bioparc 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
9 Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
10 Adelaide Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
11 The Menagerie, Stowe Gardens 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
12 Vodní park Čabárna 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity

Closest Relatives at Bhopal

White-breasted Waterhen
LC

White-breasted Waterhen

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Amaurornis phoenicurus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Western Swamphen
LC

Western Swamphen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Porphyrio porphyrio

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Sarus Crane
VU

Sarus Crane

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Grus antigone

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red-wattled Lapwing
LC

Red-wattled Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus indicus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Black Drongo
LC

Black Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus macrocercus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Laughing Dove

Laughing Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spilopelia senegalensis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Purple Sunbird
LC

Purple Sunbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cinnyris asiaticus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
White-throated Kingfisher
LC

White-throated Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon smyrnensis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Ashy Prinia
LC

Ashy Prinia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prinia socialis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Oriental Magpie-Robin
LC

Oriental Magpie-Robin

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Copsychus saularis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Greater Coucal
LC

Greater Coucal

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Centropus sinensis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Coot in Bhopal?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Coot sighting in Bhopal on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 126th most-seen of the 197 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Eurasian Coot in Bhopal?

March and December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Coot in Bhopal on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and April–November, the lowest months. Those are among Bhopal's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 440 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Eurasian Coot?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Coot sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Bhopal the best place to see a Eurasian Coot?

149th of 170

Of the 170 cities where we can rate Eurasian Coot sightings, Bhopal ranks 149th at under 5%. The best odds are in Amsterdam (Netherlands, about 90%), Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 80%) and Copenhagen (Denmark, about 70%).

Which relatives of the Eurasian Coot live in Bhopal?

Same family: Rallidae

The closest relatives of the Eurasian Coot that you can see in Bhopal (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are White-breasted Waterhen (about 40%), Common Moorhen (about 20%) and Western Swamphen (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Eurasian Coot sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Coot is recorded against all the birds logged in Bhopal (27 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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