Purple Swamphen : A Colourful Water - Bird

         Purple Swamphen : A Colourful Water - Bird

Purple Swamphen

Prominent Red Bill of Purple Swamphen

A Pair of Purple Swamphen foraging for food

Beautiful Flight of Purple Swamphen

During our visit to wetland area inside Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, located mid-way between Lucknow and Kanpur, we sighted a large bird having full body in purple colour and an attractive red beak. It drew our attention and later we identified them as ‘Purple Swamphen’. It is a prominent bird normally sighted in wetlands during winter season.

              Salient Features of Purple Swamphen

·         A widespread resident bird of wetlands in India. An attractive water - bird, normally sighted in pair or small groups.

·         Body / plumage is mainly purplish – blue, greyish head, big red bill with frontal shield. Feet are large which help them in swimming across water bodies.

·         Normally live in marshy area, wetlands, vegetated fresh waterbodies etc.

·         Their calls include a loud nasal, rising ‘quinquinkrrkrr’ and also a soft ‘chuck – chuck’.

·         They feed mainly on soft shoots, eggs, small fish, snails, frogs, insects etc.

·         Its scientific name is ‘Porphyrio porphyrio’ and belongs to ‘Rallidae’ family.

·         Its Hindi name is ‘ जामुनी जलमुर्गी ‘.

·         IUCN conservation status: Least Concern (LC).

# Sighting of ‘Purple Swamphen’ in a wetland indicates existence of healthy ecosystem. It is a colourful creation of God which needs protection from loss of their natural habitat.