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Story: Wetland birds

Australian coot and chick

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Australian coot and chick

This Australian coot is holding aquatic plant material in its bill, to feed its chick. Many coots arrived in New Zealand in 1957, coinciding with the start of a major drought in Australia. They are now well established, their numbers increasing as they colonise new wetlands.

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Natural Sciences Image Library of New Zealand

Reference: DSCI7129Smd.JPG

by Peter E. Smith

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How to cite this page

Christina Troup, Wetland birds – Pūkeko and Australian coots, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14662/australian-coot-and-chick (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Christina Troup, published 1 March 2009.