Giant Coot Facts and Photos

Information about the Bird Giant Coot

The giant coot (Fulica gigantea) is a species of coot from South America. It is found at lakes in the altiplano from central Peru, through western Bolivia, to north-eastern Chile and extreme north-western Argentina.

With a total length of 48-64cm (19-25in), it is the second largest extant member of the family Rallidae, after the takahe, and adults are considered functionally flightless. It is the only coot with reddish legs. It has a small white frontal shield. An adult male weighed 2.7kg (6.0lb) while three adult females weighed 2.03-2.4kg (4.5-5.3lb).
As in the related horned coot, the giant coot is monogamous and the pair builds a huge nest in a highland lake. However, unlike the horned coot, the nest of the giant coot is primarily made of aquatic vegetation and - as it is fiercely territorial - it never forms colonies.

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