Birds · Gruiformes · Rallidae
Giant Coot
Fulica gigantea
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The giant coot is the largest coot in the world and lives in the lagoons of the high Andean puna, above 3,000 metres and up to almost 5,000. It builds spectacular floating nests: platforms of aquatic vegetation more than a metre across and weighing several hundred kilos, anchored to the bottom, which the pair maintains and enlarges throughout the season.
Weight
2 kg – 2.5 kg
Size
48 cm – 64 cm
Life expectancy
15 years
