Eurasian Coot
Eurasian CootEurasian CootEurasian CootEurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Fulica atra

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Taiyuan

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

13 Verified sightings at Taiyuan
14,839 In all 43 parks From 2019 to 2026
January 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 Taiyuan

Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Grey Heron
LC

Grey Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea cinerea

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Oriental Magpie

Oriental Magpie

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pica serica

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
LC

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer montanus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Vinous-throated Parrotbill

Vinous-throated Parrotbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sinosuthora webbiana

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Little Grebe
LC

Little Grebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Azure-winged Magpie
LC

Azure-winged Magpie

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanopica cyanus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Great Crested Grebe
LC

Great Crested Grebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Podiceps cristatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Light-vented Bulbul
LC

Light-vented Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus sinensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Pearl-necked Dove
LC

Pearl-necked Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spilopelia chinensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Before you go

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

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Coot sighting in Taiyuan on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 25 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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 Taiyuan the best place to see a Eurasian Coot?

34th of 170

Of the 170 cities where we can rate Eurasian Coot sightings, Taiyuan ranks 34th at about 40%. The best odds are in Amsterdam (Netherlands, about 90%), Rotterdam [The Hague] (Netherlands, about 80%) and Copenhagen (Denmark, about 70%).

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 Taiyuan (13 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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