In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Coot in 8 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represents how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Coot.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Coot - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Let's start drawing the Coot by starting with the head. Draw two curvy lines with a small dot for the eye at the front end, almost in the middle.
Step 2: Now add the beak as shown by drawing a long oval connected to a cone. Don't forget the small dot for the nose! Coots eat plants like algae, fruit and seeds.
Step 3: To start drawing the body, draw a long curved line downwards from the neck to make the chest.
Step 4: Draw a big wing up on top with round feather tips.
Step 5: Now, add the right wing just under the left and don't forget to add more feathers!
Step 6: For the first leg, draw a rounded shape that leads to the leg, and then draw some sharp toes at the end.
Step 7: Now draw the second leg similar to the first. Coots use their feet to swoop down and grab it from the floor, but they are clumsy catchers.
Step 8: Add the feathers patterns to the wings by bringing lines down from the tips of both wings. You can color the body of the coot black, and leave the beak and feet white. Coots also have a white patch on top their head that makes them look bald!
Interesting Facts about Coots
A Coot is water bird that lives over in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. They are large black and white birds that can be 13-17 inches long and weigh 1-2 pounds. Coots migrate to Asia for the winter. They are found in ponds, lakes, rivers, marshes, and reservoirs. Coots eat plants like algae, fruit, and seeds; but also they will eat insects and even the eggs of different water birds!
Did you know?
- The phrase “bald a Coot” is thought be said because the white patch on the bird’s head makes it look bald.
- A Coot malts (loses its feathers) right before its mating season.
- Coots are clumsy eaters; they dive for food, but have to come back up to eat it. Sometimes the others will steal their food.
- Coots can lay eggs 2-3 times a year! Sometimes one nest will have 10 eggs. That’s 30 eggs a year!
- In 1981, the Coot was placed under protection with an international agreement.
Activity: Draw the Coot in flight, but don’t draw the wings. Give the children a copy of the drawing and tell them to color it. When they finish coloring, then use tempera paint and help each child make the wings with their hand prints.