This friendly creature here is a coot (in Dutch, meerkoet). It is a waterbird commonly found on waterways throughout Belgium. Coots can be recognised by their white beak and the distinctive white shield on their forehead. Living on the canals of densely populated urban areas, they have adapted their way of life to what these human-shaped environments offer them.

Coot gather human waste from the water to build their nests.

Recent research shows that as much as 29.3% of the nesting material of urban coots consists of artificial materials (1,634 of the 5,579 items recorded). Some nests even contain more plastic than natural materials! (Hiemstra, Gravendeel, Schilthuizen: 2021)

How do we work together with this waterbird?

In early spring, we distribute nesting platforms on the local waterways. In touristy cities, such as Ghent, there is a lack of safe nesting space for waterbirds in general.

Waterbirds, such as the coot (meerkoet) move in and start their nest building process.

While building, they also gather increasing amounts of human trash from the canals and incorporate it into their nests.

After the breeding season, when the chicks are fully grown, the birds no longer need their nests full of trash.

The nests full of human waste are collected and the waste is sorted and recycled.