Our article will tell about unusual birds - coots. Today, these creatures are sufficiently studied by ornithologists, but many ordinary people who are interested in wildlife do not know much about them. Meanwhile, studying the habits of bird coots may be of interest to hunters. And naturalists who like to watch beautiful living beings will surely like a nimble bird with an unusual “hairstyle”.
Classification
These birds belong to the shepherdess family. Sultans, moorhen and corncrake - their closest relatives. Coots are not only similar in appearance to moorhen, they also have similar behavior in their natural habitat. In addition, representatives of these genera living in the same territory sometimes create couples in which viable offspring can even be born. The main difference is that coots lead an aquatic lifestyle. Other genera belonging to the family spend most of their time on land, not in water.
Many people wonder about which birds the coot belongs to - duck or chicken? From afar, it really can be mistaken for a duck. Representatives of many species are medium in size, the same as ducks, and the silhouettes of birds floating on water are very similar. They really can be confused. However, it is worth looking at the photo of the coot bird, taken from a short distance, it becomes clear that its beak does not look like duck at all.
The people often call these birds floss and water hens. A. Brem mentions damn chickens, referring to the coot. In the old days, researchers attributed these birds to chicken, but further study showed that the differences are too significant. It was found that chickens are not relatives of these birds. But with cranes there are common roots.
Types of Bird Coot
The description of these creatures should be supplemented with a list of species belonging to the family. These include the following:
- crested coot;
- common coot;
- Hawaiian
- Andean;
- American
- West Indies;
- yellow-billed;
- white-winged;
- redhead;
- giant
- horned coot.
Scientists are aware of another species - the masked coot. This bird inhabited the islands of Reunion and Mauritius. But the uncontrolled hunting and desiccation of the swamps that inhabited these birds did their dirty deed. The view has completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. The latest information about Mascarene coot dates back to the beginning of the 18th century.
The appearance of bald birds
Representatives of different species, including the extinct, are similar to each other. The largest is the giant coot, it is so massive that it cannot fly.
Why did the coot bird get its name? Photos and descriptions provide an answer to this question. On the head of the family there is a featherless plaque. Some species also have growths. For example, in a horned one they have the shape of small horns. The color of this spot can be white, beige, light gray. The red-breasted, it is, as you might guess, red.
These birds weigh about a kilogram. And their size on average is 40-45 cm.
Pay attention to the beaks of these birds. They are thin and sharp, designed to capture food, rather than filtering out water like a duck. The eyes are small and sharp-sighted.
Cows have relatively small wings, but representatives of most species fly perfectly. Judging by the habitat on two neighboring islands, the extinct Mascarene coots were also good flyers. Modern coots are forced to make frequent short flapping of their wings, but this allows them to spend quite a long time in flight and overcome significant distances. These birds take off without scattering in advance, and when landing they practically do not slow down.
Giant coots know how to fly in their youth, and even then not far and short. With age, the skill is lost due to build.
Paws deserve special mention. In coots, they are large. Partitions, like other waterfowl, for example, ducks and swans, are not. But on the fingers there are skin folds that open in the water, increasing resistance. On land, these folds do not interfere with walking, like membranes, so that the birds move quickly and nimbly.
Coot bird habitat
The real refuge for this kind has become South America. Seven of the eleven species live on this continent. Their habitat includes Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru. The West Indian coot species lives in Venezuela and the Caribbean.
Outside the center of species diversity, American coot can be met. It predominantly inhabits North America. Hawaiian settles only on this archipelago (is endemic). Crested coots live in Africa and parts of Spain.
The distribution range of common coots is unprecedentedly wide: it covers almost the whole of Eurasia. These birds can be found from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean; from Scandinavia, the Kola and Karelian peninsulas to Bangladesh and India. Representatives of this species are found in northern Africa, in New Zealand and Australia, in Java, Papua New Guinea, and the Canary Islands.
All southern coot species lead a sedentary life, while populations living in the temperate zone migrate. Asian birds are moving to Pakistan and Southeast Asia. European coots fly away for the winter on the southern coast of the mainland to the Mediterranean, to the north of Africa.
Crimean secrets coot
Until recently, there have been debates among ornithologists about the wintering of these birds in Crimea. Photos of coot birds taken in the coastal waters of the peninsula are few in number, but are still available. In 1983 a monograph of the famous Crimean researcher Yu. V. Kostin was published, in which he mentions "partially wintering birds." In winter, the waters of the southern coast of Crimea are not warm enough for coots and they have to look for more favorable places.
Mariners report another interesting fact. They met huge armada of coots, sailing towards the Danube Delta. It’s amazing that great flyers go swimming, right? In answer to this question, scientists mention the coronel, which, having fattened over the autumn and gained significant weight, goes on foot for the winter. Given the kinship between these birds, it can be assumed that for coots this behavior should not be considered nonsense. In addition, it is easier for coots to take refuge in water in case of danger. Having dived, they can clutch underwater plants with their beaks and stay in shelter for a long time. Perhaps on a long journey, this helps the birds avoid unpleasant encounters with natural enemies.
It is worth noting that such behavior is not characteristic of all varieties of coots. Not even all birds of the same species prefer to swim to wintering places.
Paradoxes of navigation
The longer scientists study these birds, the more amazing facts are revealed to them. It was found that coots migrate along absolutely straight paths. Most migratory birds choose routes curved to reflect natural obstacles and places to relax. But coots are used to acting differently.
Due to this straightforwardness, the coot sometimes literally brings the wrong way. They can stop at ponds where no one has ever seen them. Ornithologists believe that this behavior of coot birds is explained by their very mediocre navigational abilities. However, it was this fact that allowed them to spread so widely around the planet, even occupying remote oceanic archipelagos. Having lost their way, flocks of coots gradually passed to a settled life, having settled permanently on isolated islands. Presumably, some species formed this way.
Fight for land
The habitats of all species of coots are of the same type. These birds inhabit the banks of rivers, lakes, estuaries with cool, reed-covered banks. During periods of migration and wintering, these birds can be found directly on the shores of the seas and oceans, where they forage in vast expanses of water. However, they do not make nests in open places.
Coots settle in pairs. The male and female are faithful to each other for many years, but their strong couples sometimes still parted.
Like cranes, coots take their territories seriously. Their couples are engaged not only in each other and offspring, but also are constantly fighting abroad. The entrance is ordered to the neighbors. It is noteworthy that each of both partners has its own “corner”, which is not allowed even a spouse.
In the spring there is an active struggle for the distribution of plots. During this period, fights are frequent, in which three or five birds get involved right away. The methods of struggle in these birds are peculiar. They stay in the water almost vertically and maintain balance with the help of wings. Birds fight with their free paws.
At the same time, birds often make loud sounds reminiscent of "quack-quack." But their cries are not like ducks, they have more abruptness.
Food
The basis of the diet of coots is young shoots of aquatic plants and their seeds. From time to time they are engaged in catching small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and water insects.
Coots are not a timid bird. They often form mixed flocks, living and hunting along with other waterfowl, for example, with swans. They collect food together, swimming or moving on their feet in shallow water. In water, birds can tip over and make lightning-fast throws into the water to a depth of one and a half meters. Coots can also hunt on the shore, simply collecting livestock from grass, stones and soil.
On this diet, coots accumulate enough fat to make long flights.
Nesting and breeding
Nesting takes place once a year, after the flight. Mating games begin with swimming together, while future partners tirelessly attack everyone who is nearby. A demonstratively aggressive part is replaced by a time of gentle courtship.
A coot nest is arranged on a floating platform of reed stalks. The bottom of the nest is located above the surface of the water and does not come into contact with the soil. Birds line it with moist stems of plants, which, when dried, form an ideal smooth surface.
Horned coots are the only species that does not swear with neighbors. These birds themselves create the necessary landscape. They throw small pebbles into the water and equip a nest on the top of the formed hill. One such island can weigh up to one and a half tons. Giant coots act in approximately the same way. True, they do not create islands, but rafts with a diameter of up to 4 m. One raft can support the weight of an adult.
Offspring Care
The appearance of the chicks is another interesting fact that you should know about the coot birds. Photos of their babies are impressive. They look like a cross between the neck, the rambutan and the dandelion flower. Immediately after birth, their future bald head is still covered in down.
In the clutch there can be from 4 to 15 eggs. It depends on the yield of the year. If the eggs die, the female is able to make a second and even a third. If members of the population are unable to conquer their territory and build a nest, they can plant eggs for their brethren.
The female is predominantly engaged in hatching, but the male helps her friend. Incubation takes 3 weeks. At first, the chicks are helpless, on the first day they gain strength, but already on the second day they are able to stomp after their mother. Another 2 weeks, parents feed them, putting food directly into their beaks.
Young people become winged after 2-2.5 months. And maturity comes in almost a year - by the next season.
Natural enemies
Common coots are a common species. They are hunted by eagles, otters, swamp moons, minks. Large birds of prey, wild boars, foxes often destroy nests. This species often becomes an object of hunting. Due to its high fecundity, the population is quickly recovering.
But some species, such as Hawaiian coot, need protection. They are under guard.
