We’ve all heard the saying “as bald as a coot” to refer to someone who is bald, but where does the saying come from? If you search online you’ll find that bald has several meanings. One of which is streaked or marked with white which could describe the colours of an adult Coot. Personally I think the saying is referring to a Coot chick. Like a lot of chicks a Coot chick is an ugly looking thing. If you look at the photo’s below you can see a Coot chick is bald and that’s where I think the saying comes from…that’s my theory anyway.
The photo’s below taken at Woodwalton Fen showing a Coot chick – looks pretty bald to me!
The short film below shows a couple of Coot adults fussing around their chick. The video footage was taken at Gordons Mere on Woodwalton Fen.
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Fen Photos. 