The Eurasian coot was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Fulica atra.

[9] It is largely black except for the white bill and frontal shield (which gives rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot", in use as early as 1430).

The Eurasian coot is a noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often given at night.

The coot breeds across much of the Old World on freshwater lakes and ponds, and like its relative the common moorhen, has adapted well to living in urban environments, often being found in parks and gardens with access to water.

It is resident in the milder parts of its range, but migrates further south and west from much of Asia in winter as the waters freeze.

[12] The Eurasian coot is much less secretive than most of the rail family, and can be seen swimming on open water or walking across waterside grasslands.

It does the same, but without actually flying, when travelling a short distance at speed in territorial disputes or on land to escape from intruders.

As with many rails, its weak flight does not inspire confidence, but on migration, usually at night, it can cover surprisingly large distances.

The clutch usually contains between six and ten smooth and slightly glossy buff coloured eggs that are covered with black or dark brown speckles.

[18] The coot is an omnivore, and will take a variety of small live prey including the eggs of other water birds, as well as algae, vegetation, seeds and fruit.

[21] The Eurasian coot is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.