Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra
Blishønen er en almindelig ynglefugl i Danmark. Den findes ved søer, moser og vandløb.
Round, sooty-black swimming bird of about 40 cm with a glossy black head; the mark is the white bill and white frontal shield. The toes carry broad lobes along the edges rather than webbing.
Can be confused with
- Common Moorhen — Common Moorhen has a red bill with a yellow tip and a red frontal shield — not white — plus green legs and a white stripe along the flanks; the Coot is uniformly sooty black with no flank stripe.
Plumage and variation
Male and female: Sexes alike in the field, though a male’s shield is larger the more dominant he is.
Juvenile: Juvenile is paler with a whitish throat and breast, a yellowish bill and no white shield at all. The black adult plumage comes at 3–4 months, the full shield only at one year.
Voice
Noisy, with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive and trumpeting calls — often at night too.
Behaviour
Bobs its head while swimming and dives from a small jump; also upends like a duck. Reluctant to fly — takes off by running across the water with much splashing. Highly aggressive when breeding, charging opponents and striking with its long legs; flocks in winter.
When and where
A common breeder at lakes, marshes and watercourses throughout Denmark, though listed as vulnerable on the Danish Red List. Young birds winter in the Netherlands, Belgium and France while adults stay, joined by an influx from the Baltic.
Facts
Wingspan
75 cm
Conservation status
ikke truet
Relatives
Family
rails and crakes
Rallidae
Order
cranes and rails
Gruiformes
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