Species guide
Red-knobbed Coot: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, Africa and Asia. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Xavier Rufray · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Fulica cristata
- Family
- Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Size
- About 38–42 cm
- Habitat
- Lakes, dams and slow rivers
- Found in
- Europe, Africa and Asia
The key marks
A dark grey-black coot with a white frontal shield and two red knobs on top that show in the breeding season.
Voice
A loud, harsh “kowp”.
Good to know
It lives in groups on lakes in Africa and dives to feed on water plants.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in lakes, dams and slow rivers. It is especially common in South Africa. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.