Why Water Birds Make a Towpath Walk Special

There’s something quietly rewarding about a stroll along a UK canal. The water moves slowly, the hedgerows hum, and the birdlife is often surprisingly close. You don’t need to be a seasoned twitcher to enjoy it. Three species—the moorhen, the coot and the mallard—are so common that you’ll almost certainly see at least one on any given day. But if you pause to learn their calls, habits and little quirks, every towpath walk becomes a proper wildlife safari.

Moorhens: The Shy One with the Red Shield

Moorhens are the skulking members of the rail family. They’re mostly blackish-brown, with a striking red frontal shield and a bill that’s red at the base and yellow at the tip. Look for a thin white stripe along their flanks and a habit of flicking their tail as they swim. Unlike ducks, moorhens don’t have webbed feet—they have long, unwebbed toes that let them walk across floating vegetation with surprising ease.

You’ll often see them dabbling at the water’s edge or picking insects from the bank. They’re secretive but not exactly shy; they’ll dash for cover if you get too close, usually with a loud, clucking alarm call that sounds like a scolding hen. Listen for a sharp “kurruk” or a series of clucks. Moorhens build nests among reeds or low branches overhanging the water, and they’re fiercely territorial during the breeding season, chasing off other moorhens with a flurry of splashing. If you see a small, dark bird swimming with a jerky head-bobbing motion, it’s almost certainly a moorhen.

Coots: The Bold Black and White

Coots are the extroverts of the canal. They’re jet black with a bright white frontal shield and bill, and a white patch under the tail that flashes when they swim. Their toes are lobed—not fully webbed—which gives them a distinctive, paddle-like look. Coots are larger and more confident than moorhens, and they often swim in open water rather than skulking in the margins.

Behaviour is the easiest way to tell them apart. Coots are aggressive and noisy. They chase each other, dive for food, and run across the water surface to build up speed for take-off. Their call is a loud, metallic “kowk” or a sharp “kik-kik”. During the breeding season, they build floating nests of dead reeds and defend them vigorously. If you spot a black bird with a white beak that’s paddling purposefully and occasionally squabbling, that’s a coot. Moorhens avoid confrontation; coots seem to enjoy it.

Mallards: The Familiar Dabbler

Mallards are the duck everyone knows, but they’re worth a closer look. The male has a glossy green head, a yellow bill, a grey body, a chestnut-brown chest and a curled black tail feather. The female is mottled brown with an orange bill and a dark line through the eye. Both sexes show a blue speculum—a patch of iridescent feathers on the wing—that’s visible in flight or when they stretch.

Mallards are dabbling ducks, which means they feed by tipping forward, tail up, to reach underwater plants and invertebrates. They don’t dive. You’ll often see them “upending” in shallow water, or grazing on grassy banks. Their call is the classic “quack”—the female is loud and raucous, while the male makes a quieter, rasping note. Mallards are tolerant of people, so they’re easy to watch. Please resist feeding them bread; it’s bad for their health and fouls the water. A handful of oats, peas or specialist duck food is a better treat.

Other Birds You Might Spot

Once you’ve got your eye in, you’ll notice plenty of other canal regulars. Keep an eye out for:

• Mute swans – huge, elegant, with orange bills and a black knob. They hiss rather than honk.
• Canada geese – black necks with white cheek patches, often in noisy flocks.
• Greylag geese – grey-brown with orange bills, the ancestor of most farmyard geese.
• Tufted ducks – small diving ducks with a dangling black tuft and bright yellow eye.
• Little grebes – tiny, dumpy divers that disappear underwater with a plop.
• Grey herons – tall, grey and patient, standing motionless at the water’s edge.
• Kingfishers – a flash of electric blue and orange, usually seen as a streak low over the water.

Each has its own habits and calls, so the more you watch, the more you’ll notice.

Listening and Looking: Practical Tips

To get the most from a waterside walk, slow down and use your ears as much as your eyes. Early morning is best, before boats and dog walkers disturb the water. Walk quietly, avoid sudden movements, and keep dogs on a short lead near nesting birds. A pair of compact binoculars helps, but you can learn a lot with the naked eye.

• Listen first – moorhens cluck, coots “kowk”, mallards quack. Calls often give away a bird before you see it.
• Look for signs – white droppings on a post, a floating nest, or a trail of disturbed water.
• Respect the birds – don’t feed bread, don’t let children chase, and never disturb a nest.
• Note the time of year – spring brings chicks, summer brings moulting adults, winter brings visiting ducks.
• Keep a simple list – jotting down what you see each walk turns a stroll into a gentle hobby.

With a little practice, you’ll start to recognise individual birds and their routines. The canal will never feel quite the same again—it becomes a living, breathing neighbour.