📸 PhotoPhoto: Noodle snacks · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra (Eurasian Coot · オオバン)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its body length of 39 cm is about 1.3 times the long side of an A4 sheet of paper (29.7 cm) (Comparison).
- 💡 A black bird swimming on a lake, reservoir, or wetland in winter is very likely to be a Eurasian Coot (National List of Species of Korea: observed across wetlands).
- 💡 It has a white frontal shield and lobed toes well suited for swimming and diving (National List of Species of Korea).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Eurasian Coot is a plump, all-black waterbird in the rail family. It is widely distributed across Eurasia, India, and Australia.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Males and females look similar, with a white frontal shield and a pale apricot-colored bill. Its toes have lobed flaps that are well suited for swimming and diving.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
When threatened, it dives underwater or kicks off the water surface to flee.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is a very common winter visitor and resident bird that can be seen in wetlands throughout Korea.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List LC (2019) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22692913/154269531
- • IUCN Red List category LC — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • doi.org — avilist.v2026
- • iucnredlist.org — 154269531
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000001643 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000001643
- • wikidata.org — Q25376
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Eurasian Coot.jpg
- • species.nibr.go.kr — mainHome.do
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Andy Wilson · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.