Scientific name: Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Rails and Crakes
Field characters. 38 cm. A rotund all-black waterbird with glossy black head and neck and white frontal shield and bill. In flight, shows a narrow white trailing edge along inner wing. Legs green, with large lobed toes. Juvenile brownish-grey with pale white face, throat, foreneck, chest centre and belly. When rising from the water surface, it half flies, half runs over the surface. Dives to bring up water-weeds and takes a distinct "jump" before it submerges.
Voice. Common call is a short, loud "kowk" or "kewk"; produces also various bisyllabic sounds as "kt-koowk", etc. as well as an explosive "pfwitt".
Distribution. Very common resident and summer visitor.
Habitat. Breeds on lakes, larger ponds, reservoirs, slow rivers, or urban park lakes. Outside the breeding season, gathers on open water of lakes, reservoirs, and estuarine and other brackish waters.
Food. Vegetative parts and seeds of aquatic plants, molluscs, or insects and their larvae, mainly obtained by diving or grazing.