Australasian Swamphen
Porphyrio melanotus
Also known as: Australasian Purple Swamphen, Australian Swamphen, South-West Pacific Swamphen
About This Species
A large, purplish-blue rail found in reed beds, swamps and vegetated lake margins across Australia, New Zealand and parts of the Pacific, walking deliberately through waterside vegetation on oversized red legs and feet. It feeds on shoots, seeds and small aquatic animals, often flicking its short tail as it moves, and is most visible at the reedy edges of lakes and wetlands in early morning. Wetlands with a mix of open water and dense reed cover give the most reliable sightings.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Observe from a boardwalk, hide or the water's edge rather than pushing into reed beds, since this species nests low in dense vegetation where eggs and chicks are easily disturbed or trampled.
- Protection status and enforcement for wetland birds vary across its range in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, so local rules should be checked rather than assumed.
- Keeping noise down and avoiding sudden movements near reed margins allows for longer, calmer views.
NEAvesGruiformesRallidae
Seasonal Activity
565,632 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Rallidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.