Mascarene coot (SciiFii)

The Mascarene coot (Fulica newtonii) is a species of coot that inhabits the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion. The Mascarene coot was once extinct since the late 17th century, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to its former range. The Mascarene coot is a large bird and while not flightless, it has reduced flying ability, so that if pursued, it prefers to escape by diving than it is already a general habit of the coots. As the bird has considerable stamina, it easily crosses the ocean between the islands, explaining why a single species occurs on both islands. The birds resembles an oversized Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), being about 45 cm long, but it is more likely derived from the red-knobbed coot (Fulica cristata). The Mascarene coot is an omnivore, and will take a variety of small live prey including the eggs of other water birds. Its main food in most waters however comprises various waterweeds for which it commonly dives. The conservation status of the Mascarene coot is Near Threatened due to some habitat loss, pollution, and historic poaching, however, thanks to the conservationists, the Mascarene coot is a protected species.