For such a bulky bird, the Swamphen is an accomplished flier and will readily take to the air to escape danger. It belongs to the rail group due to their stout bodies, short wings and tail, but longish legs with unwebbed feet. Purple Swamphen - Porphyrio porphyrio.

It is mainly dusky black above, with a broad dark blue collar, and dark blue to purple below. It is therefore difficult to apply dissuasive measures during the crop phase when the species feels most protected within the rice field. The purple swamphen also seeks refuge in the vegetation, hiding from potential predators, even at long distances (Blumstein, 2006). Red eye. They usually avoid flying. about this blog & stuff; the purple; the purple-rumped; Search for: Category Archives: Observations On Development. During flight, their legs hang awkwardly. As the Purple Swamphen walks, it flicks its tail up and down, revealing its white undertail. Menu Skip to content.

It is mainly dusky black above, with a broad dark blue collar, and dark blue to purple below. Purple Swamphen is a member of the Rail family which also includes the more common White-breasted Waterhen ... Research suggests that this behaviour is a form of prey-predator communication whereby a bird’s state of alertness is communicated to a potential predator, thus discouraging the predator from a vigilant prey. Purple Swamphen prefers to swim or run. As the Purple Swamphen walks, it flicks its tail up and down, revealing its white undertail.

The bill is red and robust, and the legs and feet orange-red. Purple Swamphen: Very large, blue-purple rail with a blue-black head, orange-red frontal shield and bill, green-blue back, and broad, blue and turquoise-blue wings. Long, red-pink legs and long toes. July 4, 2015 Observations, Photography, Swamphen bangalore, bengaluru, bird, bird photography, india, karnataka, nature, nature photography, observation, photography, purple rumped, purple swamphen, swamp hen, swamphen… parables of the purple. The Purple Swamphen is a large rail. Spain 6: Purple Swamphen Purple Swamphen: At first sight the unmistakeable Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio looks like a Common Moorhen as reimagined by Disney. Although not at all closely related to any domestic hen, they are indeed chicken sized, except for their feet which seem designed for a bird about four times as big. The bill is red and robust, and the legs and feet orange-red. Very short, black or blue-black tail with white undertail. In Australia it is the largest of the Rails, standing around 48 cm (19") in height. Sexes are similar except female's head is mostly blue and male's head is mostly blue-gray. They use their bright rump patch to provide message to the predators that they (Purple Swamphens) are aware about the presence of them (Predators).

The Purple Swamphen is a large rail. They land on the shrub considering it as a cushion to avoid crushes. A common bird with at least one couple occupying most swamps and tall reed-lined lakes around Australia.