The Common Coot is a common winter visitor to our area, wherever there are large water bodies. They do occur on the larger more open village ponds but tend to avoid well-vegetated marshes, unless there is also open water there. Despite the fact that a few birds oversummer annually, there is no evidence of local breeding although the species does breed elsewhere in India. The wintering population, presumably come from central and northern Asia. The first ones arrive in August with the big flocks formed by November. They begin leaving in March with only stragglers left in May. They form large, dense packs in open water to feed on submerged vegetation, often from the surface but also with short dives. Sometimes they leave the water to graze on waterside grass. In favoured locations, such flocks can exceed 2,000 birds but up to 500 is more typical.

The flocks tend to be monospecific although they sometimes mix with rafts of duck, particularly diving duck. They may also have accompanying Little Grebes which sometimes feed on the small fish disturbed as the Coots pull up the vegetation. One regular association around water hyacinth beds is with Gadwall since both species eat the leaves of this invasive plant. A Coot flock is readily identified at a distance by the rounded black bodies of the birds and the fact that they usually form tight packs. At closer range, the bare white frontal shield can be seen, hence the expression “bald as a Coot”. Another expression, “mad as a Coot”, comes from their seemingly irrational behaviour when the flock will suddenly increase speed, change direction suddenly, or even half-run, half-fly, splattering across the water surface for no apparent reason.