Coot

Coot (fulica atra). The nested area is located in Eurasia: from Atlantic up to Pacific ocean. Coot winters in Western Europe and Mediterranean. In Belarus it is a usual kind and on separate types of reservoirs reaches high number. During the nested period it meets on various reservoirs: rivers, greater and small lakes, water basins, fish-breeding ponds. The important condition of dwelling of this kind on a reservoir is the presence of growing areas with small pure stretches. The greatest number reaches on shallow ponds of fishing households, large growing lakes. It is possible to meet coot on the former riverbeds and backwaters, peat carriers, ponds-stores of clearing constructions and even on improvement channels; it does not avoid the reservoirs located in settlements. Spring flight of coots in Belarus begins in March, before opening landlocked reservoirs. At this time the bird concentrates in lots in fluvial meadows and on reservoirs-coolers of power stations. Its flight lasts up to the middle of April. Autumnal flying away of coots occurs within September and in first half of October. Coot is very trustful bird that’s why it often becomes the victim of hunter. However at constant prosecution it becomes little bit more cautious. Owing to its high number and to relative simplicity of extraction coot plays an important role as object of sports hunting.