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HOME » PHOTO GALLERY » PURPLE SWAMP HEN
FACT FILE The Purple Swamphen [Porphyrio porphyrio], also known as the Purple Gallinule or Pukeko , is a large bird in the family Rallidae. This chicken-sized bird, with its huge feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield is unmistakable. It clambers through the reeds, eating the tender shoots. Where they are not persecuted they can become tame and be readily seen in towns and cities. This species has a very loud explosive call. It will fly short distances with dangling legs. Their breeding habitat is warm reedbeds across southernmost Europe , Africa , tropical Asia , and Australasia . There are six or more subspecies, depending on the authority, which differ in the plumage colours.
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European birds are overall purple-blue, African and south Asian birds have a green back, and Australasian and Indonesian birds have black backs and heads. The Philippines subspecies is pale blue with a brown back.
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