COOT 187 
This bird is practically a resident in the British Isles, 
migrating in considerable numbers to marine localities in 
winter. In the Shetlands it appears to be chiefly a summer- 
visitor, while on Achill Island it occurs as a winter-visitor. 
It has been taken on several occasions at light-stations, 
which shows that it is capable of making long migratory 
journeys. 
Flight.—The rising flight is fluttering and rather heavy, 
but as the bird gets up it becomes more buoyant and 
powerful on the wing. When flying, its feet extend 
beyond the tail. 
Voice.—The shrill, menacing note of the Coot is familiar 
to most of us. On artificial waters and especially in the 
nesting-season, we hear its voice much more often than that 
of other water-fowl. It is hard to imitate, but may be com- 
pared rather to the short highly-pitched bark of quite a 
young puppy. The young bird, when more than _half- 
erown but still in the downy stage, utters a note remarkably 
like that of the Curlew. I first became acquainted with this 
fact a few years ago when watching Coots on the lake of 
the Dublin Zoological Gardens. The warning-note of the 
parent sounds like a hammer striking a brick. 
Food.—The food is practically the same as that of the 
Water-hen, while in captivity the bird will eat moistened 
bread and biscuits. It is most interesting to watch how 
a parent-bird will dip its beak into a piece of moist bread or 
mashed meal and again withdraw it without opening it. The 
beak covered with food is then presented to the brood, which 
crowd round to pick it off. The Coot feeds chiefly by day. 
Nest.—This species constructs a strong nest of flags, 
reeds, and rushes, sometimes on a bank near the water’s 
edge, more usually in a bed of reeds surrounded by water, 
above the level of which it is well raised. It is as a rule 
concealed from view by the surrounding vegetation. The 
eggs, seven to ten in number, are stone-colour, with small 
specks of blackish-brown. 
Incubation sometimes takes place early in April, but on 
the lakes in the West of Ireland in May and June. The 
young take to the water a few days after they are hatched, 
when their parents watch them assiduously, and will attack 
and drive away other species of Water-fowl much larger 
than themselves. 
Geographical distribution.—Abroad, the Coot breeds over 
the greater part of Hurope and Temperate Asia, as far east 
