Eurasian Coot

The Eurasian Coot is a monogamous and territorial species, often in conflict with its neighbours as nesting pairs are usually numerous and the contiguous territory.

Depending on altitude and latitude, the breeding period runs from February to September and two subsequent broods are possible. In Europe, the period between March and July is the preferred one. Nesting does not go without conflict as described above. Numerous vocal invectives and assaults allow each couple to fix the limits of its territory. Then they can properly start nesting. The nest is an organized more or less bulky pile of plant organs from the surrounding plants, stalks, leaves, rhizomes, etc. It is built in shallow water in a tuft, in a small tree, on dead vegetation, on a vegetal raft on which it can be floating. Sometimes, it is easily visible to the observers. The inner bowl is lined with linear leaves of monocotylèdons. The female lays six to ten light-beige eggs with a few brown spots. Incubation starts before the end of the laying and takes a little bit more than three weeks. The eggs hatch over several days. The young stay at the nest for a few days before the two parents split them. The female keeps the nest with her half-brood while the male builds a special platform for his. The young feed themselves from the age of four weeks and start to fly at the age of two months. They will gladly stay in the area and may even help their parents take care of the young of the second brood.