This undoubted troublemaker, also known as the black diver, is the common coot, from Latin Fulica atra. The Polish name comes from the white patch on the forehead, which resembles baldness.
Coot is undoubtedly the biggest barb and adventurer on the water. In early spring, when he is looking for a territory to build a nest, quarrels between birds begin, first between two, then three, and then it doesn't matter anymore, anyone who comes within range will get hit. It can even be a mighty swan.
This bird lives in a pond in my neighborhood, which is very rich in other species of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and all kinds of vegetation.
Today a female coot went out for a walk with her cubs, and possibly introducing them to adulthood. She foraged alone in the freshly cut grass just off the edge of the pond, and the young played in the shallow water by the shore and on a nearby platform.
The coot is not a very large bird, its size resembles a duck and weighs about 1 kg. It has black plumage, and on its forehead there is a forehead plate connected to a white beak, which is devoid of plumage.
Legs like fins
The coot has very strong legs, which end in long fingers equipped with petals, resembling fins and working on a similar principle. Thanks to them, the coot moves very efficiently on the surface of the water and under water.
When he wants to get into the air and take off thanks to these fins it is possible. It then looks as if it was literally running on the water, thus accelerating to flight.
The female coot lays 5 to 17 eggs and incubates them for about 25 days. In this case, I spotted only 4 young birds. Coots feed on small aquatic animals, aquatic plants, mollusks.
The chicks are adorable. At first they are covered only with black down, and their beaks are red-orange. The so-called ruff is visible on the head, i.e. a collar consisting of small yellow-brown feathers.
Young coots, not yet feathered, also have small flakes growing on their legs to help them swim. The legs look very strong and out of proportion to the rest of the body
And in the photo below, the family is almost complete.
Enjoy 😉
