Wildlifeof Sulawesi
Australasian Swamphen
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Photo: (c) Terra Occ, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY (May be cropped or resized)
Porphyrio melanotus
Also known as: Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus
AviList (2026) treats this bird as a subspecies, Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus, of the Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), which is not listed separately on this site. IOC lists it as a separate species.
A member of the rail family, it is part of the diverse order Gruiformes, which includes species with similar characteristics such as cranes and other rail species. Within the Australasian swamphen species, five recognised subspecies exist, with P. m. melanotus being the most common and widely distributed in New Zealand. They display phenotypic characteristics typical of rails: relatively short wings and strong, elongated bills, adapted to its semi-aquatic lifestyle in wetlands. (Wikipedia, general species account).
The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), commonly known as the pūkeko in New Zealand, is a striking and socially complex bird found in Oceania, including eastern Indonesia (the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands), Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. It is often found in swamps, marshes, and other wet lowland areas, though its habitat has expanded to include pastures, roadside verges, and farmland, due to significant landscape changes in New Zealand over the last 150 years. (Wikipedia, general species account).