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Eurasian Coots are medium-sized waterhens. Their plumage is dark slate-grey, with a black head. The eyes are red, the legs and feet are grey. They are the only waterhens with a white frontal shield and bill. Male Eurasian Coots have a more prominent shield than females. Juvenile Eurasian Coots have a pale throat and duller plumage than adults.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Eurasian Coot is available HERE .

Eurasian Coots can be found basically all over central Europe, the British islands, southern Scandinavia, most of the Mediterranean and throughout temperate Asia plus the Indian subcontinent and, via far-east Asia, into Australia and New Zealand. In western and central Europe and in (sub)tropical Asia they are permanent residents, while in Asia Minor, Israel/Palestine and along the northern African coastal fringe they are mostly winter visitors.

In Arabia Eurasian Coots, nominate race "atra" are mostly winter visitors around the Persian Gulf. In Oman they are found in wetlands along the North coast, in the border region with the UAE, at least as far as Muscat, but there is also a population on the South coast in Salalah.

Race "atra"

Race "australis"