Coot (Fulica atra)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks December to May · Rails, Gallinules, and Coots · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Coot has been recorded in 1,817 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (61%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in December to May.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 49% or more of visits
- High
- 22% to 49%
- Moderate
- 8% to 22%
- Low
- under 8%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 88% | 26% | Very high |
| February | 92% | 28% | Very high |
| March | 100% | 30% | Very high |
| April | 98% | 29% | Very high |
| May | 85% | 25% | Low |
| June | 74% | 22% | Low |
| July | 80% | 24% | Very high |
| August | 82% | 25% | Very high |
| September | 76% | 23% | Very high |
| October | 71% | 21% | Low |
| November | 82% | 24% | Very high |
| December | 85% | 25% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C90 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D10 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D13 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H14 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H15 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H24 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H76 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J08 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J12 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J44 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |