Call: Many calls; typical ones include a loud, broken 'kowk, kowk' and an explosive 'pitts'.

Feeding habits: Small aquatic animals, insect larvae and pondweed. Coots may also graze on waterside grass.

Nest: Mound of waterside vegetation, reeds, sticks etc, collected from the vicinity and usually contsructed in the middle of waterside reeds etc.

Habitat and range: Common throughout most of the UK on well-vegetated lowland lakes and ponds. Rarely found in northern Scotland or on hilly high ground.