Swamphen

Porphyrio
An Australasian swamphen from New Zealand (pūkeko, Porphyrio melanotus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Rallidae
Genus:	Porphyrio Brisson, 1760
Species
Porphyrio porphyrio Porphyrio melanotus Porphyrio indicus Porphyrio madagascariensis Porphyrio poliocephalus Porphyrio pulverulentus Porphyrio hochstetteri Porphyrio alleni Porphyrio martinica Porphyrio flavirostris For extinct species, see article text.
Synonyms
Notornis Porphyrula

For the Latin grammarian sometimes known as Porphyrio, see Pomponius Porphyrion.

Porphyrio is the swamphen genus of birds in the rail family. It includes some smaller species which are usually called "purple gallinules", and which are sometimes separated as genus Porphyrula or united with the gallinules proper (or "moorhens") in Gallinula. The Porphyrio gallinules are distributed in the warmer regions of the world

Species

Extant species

• Purple swamphen complex
  • Western swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
  • African swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis
  • Grey-headed swamphen, Porphyrio poliocephalus
  • Black-backed swamphen, Porphyrio indicus
  • Philippine swamphen, Porphyrio pulverulentus
  • Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus
• Takahē, or South Island takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri

Recent taxonomy changes in Porphyrula or Gallinula:

• Allen's gallinule, also known as Lesser Gallinule, Porphyrio alleni (formerly Porphyrula alleni)
• American purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica (formerly Porphyrula martinica)
• Azure gallinule, Porphyrio flavirostris

Extinct species

• Lord Howe swamphen, Porphyrio albus (early 19th century)
• Réunion swamphen, or oiseau bleu, Porphyrio coerulescens (18th century, hypothetical species)
• Marquesas swamphen, Porphyrio paepae (prehistoric or c. 1900)
• North Island takahē, or mōho, Porphyrio mantelli (prehistoric or 1890s)
• New Caledonian swamphen, Porphyrio kukwiedei (prehistoric or more recent)
• Huahine swamphen, Porphyrio mcnabi (prehistoric)
• Buka swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
• Giant swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
• New Ireland swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
• Norfolk Island swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
• Rota swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
• Mangaia swamphen/woodhen, ?Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric) - would belong into Porphyrula, Gallinula or Pareudiastes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Porphyrio or Rallidae

• Taylor, P. Barry & van Perlo, Ber (1998): Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven. ISBN 0-300-07758-0