Balance Act of an Eurasian Coot - Taucherli
Eurasian coot, called "Taucherli" in Swiss german, is a common bird in many lakes of Switzerland.
Rarely visiting my home country Switzerland has the advantage that even very common birds like the Eurasian coot was a new species for my photo collection. I combined the visit of my parents with a stroll along the upper shores of Walensee where I spotted many Eurasian coots, Black-headed gulls and a few Mute swans.
Coots are not that shy, so that with some care you can get close for taking photos without the need to attract them with food. I never feed wild animals.
Unfortunately, the sunlight was strong and direct so that these black birds look like light grey and their white-pink beak and white facial shield may have been overexposed. At least, I was able to get around the birds having the sun in my back.
Haslen, December 30, 2019
About Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
Blässhuhn (de), Eurasian coot (en), Focha común (es), Foulque macroule (fr)
The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), also known as the common coot, or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa.