Coots on Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 5 May 2020

Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the Rallidae (rail) family. They are close relatives of Image Coots, and are often seen swimming in open water such as here at the winding hole on the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal at Radcliffe. Adults have predominantly black plumage and, in contrast to the moorhen, have a white bill and frontal face shield. The legs are greenish the eyes a beautiful red colour (but that is only seen at close quarters). The young chicks have orange-tipped plumes which make them very distinctive (and conspicuous to would-be predators such as foxes). The orange plumage usually begins to fade after about a week. This photograph shows an adult coot with two chicks which are approximately 2½ weeks old; the orange tips to their plumage have now almost completely disappeared but their bright orange beaks and lack of the white face shield means that they still look different to the parent. The brood originally consisted of 7 chicks but these two are all that remain following an attack by a stoat (or possibly a mink) a few days earlier. http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/c/coot/index.aspx RSPB https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coot Wikipedia

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