P. porphyrio is a Purple Swamphen. What is a purple Swamphen? Well it isn’t completely purple and it’s not really a hen either. But it is an interesting bird that lives in vast places around the world.

 

The size of a Purple Swamphen is usually from 44cm to 48cm. These birds have a variety of different looks. Their plumage or feathers can come in the colors blue-green, purple, dusky black, dusky blue, white, or brown. The beak, legs, and feet colors are usually in the range of scarlet to red. The purple Swamphen is very bulky and has very long legs. Purple Swamphens are proficient swimmers, but prefer to wander on the edges of water among reeds and on floating vegetation.

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Purple Swamphens’ habitats are usually in freshwater swamps, streams, and marshes. They do well in their habitats because of their legs. They do live in swamps but usually stay around shallow water in the banks. That’s why they have long legs, to stay above water. They also have talons on their long feet. They have them so they can sink their claws into the mud to stay put.

 

There are 13 or more subspecies of the Purple Swamphen. Luckily their species isn’t threatened yet they are considered to be least concerned globally by the IUCN or INTERNATIONAL UNION for CONSERVATION of NATURE. This species of bird has declined many times historically. These birds are usually found in Australia, Brazil, and Europe-(commonly Mediterranean).

 

The diet of the Purple Swamphen includes the soft shoots of reeds and rushes, and small animals such as frogs and snails. However it is an egg stealer and will also eat ducklings is it can catch them. These birds use their toes to grasp food while eating.

 

Animals that could possibly take a purple Swamphen as prey are a dingo, which is an Australian wild dog breed, or a jaguar a wild cat breed. These birds are ready to fly in a needed escape; but in flight its legs and elongated toes will trail behind or hang underneath the body. So that might not be so great for when they are just starting to fly if a predator is chasing them.

What I found interesting about this bird is that I couldn’t really find a specific predator for it. That was truly strange. So I just looked for certain predators in the places Purple Swamphens live which was also pretty hard.

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Author: Imani A
Published: 02/2014

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