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The red-knobbed coot or crested coot is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The red-knobbed coot is largely black except for the white frontal shield. It is 35–42 cm (14–17 in) long, spans 75–85 cm (30–33 in) across the wings. Males weigh 770–910 g (27–32 oz), females are slightly smaller and weigh 455–790 g (16.0–27.9 oz). The sexes are alike. As a swimming species, it has partial webbing on its long strong toes. The juvenile is paler than the adult, has a whitish breast, and lacks the facial shield; the adult's black plumage develops when about 3–4 months old, but the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old, some time later.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Red-knobbed Coot sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in France.
When to see it
Peak activity in January · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Red-gartered CootFulica armillataThe red-gartered coot is 43 to 51 cm (17 to 20 in) long.
White-winged CootFulica leucopteraThe white-winged coot is 35 to 43 cm (14 to 17 in) long and weighs about 400 to 600 g (14 to 21 oz).
Red-fronted CootFulica rufifronsThe red-fronted coot is 38 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in) long.
Side by side: American Coot vs Red-knobbed Coot · Eurasian Coot vs Red-knobbed Coot · Corn Crake vs Red-knobbed Coot · Red-gartered Coot vs Red-knobbed Coot
Learn the Red-knobbed Coot for real
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