WHITE-WINGED COOT Fulica leucoptera
This is the common Paraguayan coot with large flocks forming in winter at the Bahía de Asunción and on the Chaco salt lagoons. Two other rarer coots also occur in Paraguay and their identification can be tricky, especially given that the shield colour in this species is variable - it can be yellow, orange or white! To identify coots note the pattern of the shield, the shape of the head in profile (rounded) and the shape of the top of the shield (rounded).
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE1923PH) Adult with yellow shield, Costanera Sur, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE1924PH) Same individual front view (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE1925PH) Adult with orange shield, Costanera Sur, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE1926PH) Pair, Bahía de Asunción, Departamento Central (Frank Fragano undated).
VIDEO - (FPAVE1927VI) Same individual as (FPAVE1923PH - FPAVE1924PH) (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4

FIGURE 4
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith and Frank Fragano and is used with permission.