Red-knobbed Coot
Fulica cristata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
- FamilyRallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
- GenusFulica (Coots)
- SpeciesFulica cristata (Red-knobbed Coot)
The red-knobbed coot or crested coot (Fulica cristata) is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southernmost Spain on freshwater lakes and ponds. It builds a nest of dead reeds near the water's edge or more commonly afloat, laying about 7 eggs (or more in good conditions). Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-knobbed Coot sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 611 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Black Crake
Amaurornis flavirostra
African Rail
Rallus caerulescens
Western Swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
Lesser Moorhen
Gallinula angulata
Baillon's Crake
Porzana pusilla
Allen's Gallinule
Porphyrio alleni
African Crake
Crex egregia
Grey Crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Red-knobbed Coot in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
About 24% of wildlife watchers report a Red-knobbed Coot sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 611 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red-knobbed Coot in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
June has the highest sighting rate for Red-knobbed Coot in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.