Bird Watching or Twitching in Andalucia Southern Spain
May 2004, Crested Coot, Fulica cristata
The crested coot is an endangered species in Europe with only around 50 birds in total. It used to breed more prolifically than the common coot, particularly at La Janda and the Cadiz and Malaga lagoons. The occasional crested coot may still be seen at Malaga mixed in with the common coot.
This photograph was taken in January at a bird sanctury at Alcudia in Majorca where they introduced 20 crested coots which they ringed. Here is the reason for featuring this very rare bird. On the Wednesday there were 20 crested coots and on the Thursday there were 19. One had flown off to Minorca. The policy is to allow the birds to come and go as they please to re-introduce themselves into other areas. It is more than likely that some will start to appear in our area so keep your eyes open.