Blässhuhn La Rioja

The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), known in German as Blässhuhn or Blässralle, belongs to the rail family. It reaches a body length of 36 to 42 centimetres and weighs between 700 and 1,000 grams. Distinctive features include slate-grey to black plumage, a white frontal shield with a white bill, ruby-red eyes and greenish-yellow legs with the characteristic lobed swimming toes. Its habitat consists of standing and slow-flowing waters with reed beds and shoreline shrubs, typically nutrient-rich lakes, ponds and gravel pits with good underwater vegetation and structured banks.

Coots forage by diving and dabbling on a broad omnivorous diet of aquatic plants, seeds, algae, small invertebrates and occasional small fish, and they also graze on land. During the breeding season they form monogamous seasonal pairs, build substantial nests of reed and marsh plants in the water or along the bank, and lay 5 to 10 eggs per clutch. Outside the breeding season coots gather in large flocks on ice-free waters, which makes them well visible for observation and hunting alike.

In modern hunting practice the coot plays only a minor role and is typically pursued from a waterside high seat or hide. European populations have generally increased, but local declines from habitat loss call for restraint. Hunters are expected to apply ethical, moderate harvest and to ensure reliable retrieval of shot birds with a trained water dog.