Birds
Giant Coot
Fulica gigantea
High on Andean lakes above 3,000 metres, a giant coot works across seasons piling aquatic vegetation into a nest mound that can eventually weigh more than a car, anchored against the wind that scours these windswept altiplano waters.
Overview
The giant coot, Fulica gigantea, is a Least Concern waterbird and the largest coot species in the world, found almost exclusively on high Andean lakes above 3,000 metres across Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Its size, its reluctance to fly, and its massive floating nest mounds make it one of the more unusual waterbirds found at extreme altitude anywhere on Earth.
An extraordinary nest
Working over repeated breeding seasons, pairs pile up aquatic vegetation into nest mounds anchored to the lake floor. With few large predators at this altitude, the same mound can be reused and expanded year after year until it weighs over a tonne.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and locally common wherever suitable high-altitude lake habitat exists, though always tied to specific wetland sites across its scattered Andean range.
Giant Coot: common questions
Why does the giant coot build such a large nest?
It piles up aquatic vegetation into mound-shaped nests anchored to the lake floor, and because the species faces few nest predators at high altitude, the same mound can be reused and expanded over repeated seasons until it weighs over a tonne.
Can the giant coot fly?
It can, but reluctantly. Its large body size combined with the thin air of high-altitude Andean lakes makes sustained flight energetically costly, so it relies mainly on swimming and running across the water's surface instead.
What does the giant coot eat?
It feeds mainly on aquatic plants pulled from the lake floor, supplemented occasionally with small invertebrates.
Where does the giant coot live?
It is found almost exclusively on high Andean lakes above 3,000 metres in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, among the highest-altitude waterbird habitats anywhere.