Black-Backed Swamphen

The black-backed swamphen is a large rail ranging from mainland Southeast Asia east to Borneo and Sulawesi. It resembles other members of the purple-swamphen complex but combines a large frontal shield with black upperparts and blackish sides to the head. It was formerly treated as the subspecies Porphyrio porphyrio indicus; current species-level treatment uses Porphyrio indicus, though older sources may still file observations under the broader purple swamphen (Wikipedia taxonomic account).

The species inhabits wetlands and particularly favours slow-flowing water. A study of urban wetlands in Peninsular Malaysia found that swamphens tended to avoid urbanisation and other intensive human activity, but the opened summary did not describe Sulawesi movements. Detailed diet and breeding accounts for the former broad purple-swamphen species may combine several now-separated taxa, so they are not transferred here. Species-specific food, nest, clutch and incubation details remain unstated pending a direct source (Wikipedia account; Malaysian wetland occupancy study).