biology

Red-fronted coot

Red-fronted coot is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Red-fronted coot rather than just read about it. In short: The red-fronted coot (Fulica rufifrons) is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.

Key takeaways

Red-fronted coot belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Red-fronted coot to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Red-fronted coot from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The red-fronted coot (Fulica rufifrons) is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.

Taxonomy and systematics The red-fronted coot is monotypic.

Description The red-fronted coot is 38 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in) long. Male specimens can weigh between 685 and 735 g (24 and 26 oz) and females can weigh around 550 g (19 oz). The sexes are alike. Adults have a yellow bill, a dark chestnut-red frontal shield, and olive legs and feet. Unique among coots, their feet are not lobed. Their plumage is almost entirely dark slate gray except for white undertail coverts. Juveniles have a blackish bill, white spots on the throat, and gray-brown plumage with the same white undertail coverts as adults.

Distribution and habitat The red-fronted coot is found coastally from southern Peru to central Chile, in at least one site in Bolivia, and from southeastern Brazil south through Uruguay to east central Argentina. It has also occurred as a vagrant in Paraguay and the Falkland Islands, though the last sighting at the latter location was in 1924. Clements extends its range to Tierra del Fuego. Fossils of this species are known from the Laguna de Tagua Tagua formation of Chile. The red-fronted coot is primarily a bird of the lowlands, ordinarily ranging from sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft), but it occurs casually as high as 2,100 m (6,900 ft) in Argentina and is regularly found at 3,700 m (12,100 ft) at Alalay Lake, Bolivia. It inhabits the shallows of semi-open marshes and reedy lakes, especially those with floating vegetation such as duckweed.

Behavior

Movement No regular movements of the red-fronted coot have been documented. However, sightings of vagrants outside its usual range suggest at least some wandering or dispersal. It appears to be only a winter inhabitant in the northern part of its Brazilian range.

Feeding The red-fronted coot feeds mostly on the surface, pecking at vegetation, though it also dives for submerged food. In addition, it is known to graze near its usual marshes when they seasonally dry. It usually feeds in small flocks that sometimes include red-gartered coots (F. armillata).

Breeding The red-fronted coot is monogamous. Its egg-laying season varies geographically, being September and October in Chile, May to November in Argentina, and September to January in Peru. It makes a nest of plant material low to the water in floating or emergent vegetation. Clutches average five to six eggs but range from two to nine. The black-headed duck (Heteronetta atricapilla) is a significant nest parasite.

Vocalization The red-fronted coot makes a "long, chattering series of calls, described as 'togo togo togo..., cu cu cu..., puhúh puhúh puhúh...', etc." It also has a "tuc" alarm call.

Conservation status The IUCN has assessed the red-fronted coot as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered "not uncommon" in much of its range and abundant in marshes on the Pampas.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Red-fronted coot

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Red-fronted coot claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Red-fronted coot before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Red-fronted coot ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Red-fronted coot

In research: Red-fronted coot appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Red-fronted coot in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Red-fronted coot is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Birds described in 1861, Birds of Argentina, Birds of Chile, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Red-fronted coot outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Red-fronted coot in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Red-fronted coot means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Red-fronted coot out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Red-fronted coot in simple terms?

Why does Red-fronted coot matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Red-fronted coot?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Red-fronted coot.