Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) - Kranji Marshes
Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), also known as Black-backed Swamphen, African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinue, Pukeko, or Purple Coot is a large bird in the family of Rallidae (rails).
As the Purple Swamphen walks, it flicks its tail up and down, revealing its white undertail.
Purple Swamphen are quite terrestrial and will walk and climb readily but don't usually swim. Their bills are red and robust, and the legs and feet orange-red.
For such a bulky bird, the Purple Swamphen is an accomplished flier and will readily take to the air to escape danger. In flight, the long legs and elongated toes trail behind or hang underneath the body. Despite being clumsy in flight, it can fly long distances, and it is a good swimmer.
Purple Swamphen (photo credit - Adrian Lim)
Quick Facts:
- This striking blue and purple bird has long pink legs and huge feet for wading in shallow water and walking over floating vegetation in the marsh.
- The Purple Swamphens' big feet enable it to walk on floating water plants.
- Purple Swamphens will eat frogs, snakes, lizards, and insects, as well as plants.
Purple Swamphens are frightened by the slightest movements, blasting a long nasal “cooah” or “gooweh” (alarm call), raising and lowering the tail feathers repeatedly before flying off and hiding in the bordering thick vegetation. They often live in pairs and larger communities. Both sexes are similar, with females slightly smaller; females also possess a smaller frontal shield. Juveniles are both duller-coloured and paler than adults and may easily be confused with young of other related species.
Diet / Feeding:
The Purple Swamphen feeds on new grass shoots, invertebrates, berries and grains. Studies have shown that this species is almost completely herbivorous. Animal matter constitutes only a minor portion of the diet and is mainly represented by insects and arachnids. However, it is a reputed egg stealer and will also eat ducklings when it can catch them. In their native range, they are known to eat the shoots, leaves, roots, stalks, flowers, and seeds of a wide variety of plants, including agricultural species such as rice and sugar cane, fish and fish eggs, frogs and frog eggs, water snakes, adult birds, bird eggs and nestlings, small rodents and carrion.
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