Coots can fly!!! (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

News from Round Pond Kensington Gardens, London today courtesy of London Wiki Birds.

 

[Andy Adcock]

This would be a significant record, we don't have Coot or Moorhen in St Petersburg, at least, I've never seen one.

 

[Himalaya]

Good record!

 

[Himalaya]

A few Coots spend late winter, spring and early part of summer on my local patch which is a reservoir with steep sides. They try breed and almost always fail. They just appear out of nowhere and then disappear into thin air. I have never seen a Coot flying before.

 

[Jos Stratford]

For northern populations at least, Coot is a long distance migrant. It is an abundant passage breeder throughout the Baltic States and north into Finland, but very very small numbers attempt to winter for obvious reasons, the waters are often totally frozen.

 

[dantheman]

A few Coots spend late winter, spring and early part of summer on my local patch which is a reservoir with steep sides. They try breed and almost always fail. They just appear out of nowhere and then disappear into thin air. I have never seen a Coot flying before.

Concerning the OP, you're suggesting Coots don't fly, but use wormholes or matter transporters?

;-)

 

[Andy Adcock]

For northern populations at least, Coot is a long distance migrant. It is an abundant passage breeder throughout the Baltic States and north into Finland, but very very small numbers attempt to winter for obvious reasons, the waters are often totally frozen.

I'm absolutely surrounded by seemingly, suitable ponds and lakes and yet have never seen a Coot in St P in ten years. This would sugget to me anyway, that they cannot be anywhere approaching 'abundant', this far North.

 

[Richard Prior]

I'm absolutely surrounded by seemingly, suitable ponds and lakes and yet have never seen a Coot in St P in ten years. This would sugget to me anyway, that they cannot be anywhere approaching 'abundant', this far North.

I had a look in my BWP Concise Andy, admittedly the stats date from the late 80s but they give populations (pairs) eg. Finland 15 to 20k, Lithuania 12k, Estonia 5k, Latvia 8 to 10k, Sweden 20 to 30k, Norway up to 2k. A target bird for your St P list then!

 

[dantheman]

Collins shows breeding range well east of St P? ... however it may be one of those birds that have a different habitat preference in different parts of the range, be gappy, or otherwise have specific preferences/site fidelity ...

 

[Andy Adcock]

I had a look in my BWP Concise Andy, admittedly the stats date from the late 80s but they give populations (pairs) eg. Finland 15 to 20k, Lithuania 12k, Estonia 5k, Latvia 8 to 10k, Sweden 20 to 30k, Norway up to 2k. A target bird for your St P list then!

Coot and Moorhen, are both species that I've long, wondered about in terms of why they are not here. Some of our lakes are almost certainly too deep but there are apparently, perfect, Coot habitats all over the greater, St Petersburg area (Leningrad Oblast) but no Coot or Moorhen.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I'm absolutely surrounded by seemingly, suitable ponds and lakes and yet have never seen a Coot in St P in ten years. This would sugget to me anyway, that they cannot be anywhere approaching 'abundant', this far North.

I didn't comment on the St Petersburg area, but they are indeed abundant in the Baltic States and into southern Finland, with breeding widespread and often occurring in large flocks on passage. The vast majority of these are migratory.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I had a look in my BWP Concise Andy, admittedly the stats date from the late 80s but they give populations (pairs) eg. Finland 15 to 20k, Lithuania 12k, Estonia 5k, Latvia 8 to 10k, Sweden 20 to 30k, Norway up to 2k. A target bird for your St P list then!

In more recent years, the Lithuanian population is 20,000 - 30,000 pairs. I would guess the average wintering populations is some hundreds at most.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I didn't comment on the St Petersburg area, but they are indeed abundant in the Baltic States and into southern Finland, with breeding widespread and often occurring in large flocks on passage. The vast majority of these are migratory.

But this, by the definition of the areas described, includes St Petersburg which sits in between those points?

I'm genuinely at a loss, to comprehend why there are apparently none here when all the supporting information suggests that they are?

 

[Jos Stratford]

I don't know why you are not encountering them, maybe local habitat around St Petersburg? In the Baltic States (and from my lesser experience in Finland), they are not particularly common in deep pine-surrounded lakes, but are in shallower more open well-vegetated pools.

 

[Jos Stratford]

PS. of the likely species, Coot is probably the most common species that I have not seen on my land (but Moorhen, Water Rail, Spotted Crake and Little Crake have all occured and bred). Coot is on all the surrounding lakes though.

 

[Jos Stratford]

But this, by the definition of the areas described, includes St Petersburg which sits in between those points?

I'm genuinely at a loss, to comprehend why there are apparently none here when all the supporting information suggests that they are?

Maybe you are a little to the east of St Petersburg? Ebird seems to show quite a number of Coot in the greater St Petersburg area, particularly on the western side at sites along the Gulf of Finland, see HERE

 

[Andy Adcock]

Maybe you are a little to the east of St Petersburg? Ebird seems to show quite a number of Coot in the greater St Petersburg area, particularly on the western side at sites along the Gulf of Finland, see HERE

Can't see that Jos, don't have an account but this is where were are in St P.

Yukki · Leningrad Oblast, Russia

Leningrad Oblast, Russia

goo.gl

 

[Jos Stratford]

Can't see that Jos, don't have an account but this is where were are in St P.

Yukki · Leningrad Oblast, Russia

Leningrad Oblast, Russia

goo.gl

 

[Jos Stratford]

These are 2021 and other recent records for St Petersburg, seems mostly a little west of you (red dots are records in last 30 days)

 

[Andy Adcock]

Seems I'm suffering the recently described affliction 'Coot Blindness'...!