African Swamphen

The African swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis, is a striking bird with a resemblance to the purple swamphen. However, it can be distinguished by its bronze green or green-blue back and scapulars, which set it apart from its relatives.

Identification Tips

When attempting to identify the African swamphen, look for its vibrant plumage, particularly the bronze green or green-blue hues on its back and scapulars. This feature is key in differentiating it from the closely related purple swamphen.

Habitat

The African swamphen shows a preference for wetland habitats. It thrives in freshwater or brackish ponds, slow-flowing rivers bordered by reeds and sedges, marshes, swamps, and is also known to inhabit seasonally flooded wetlands.

Distribution

This species is mainly sedentary and can be found across sub-Saharan Africa, including southern Africa where it is sometimes locally common. Its range extends to northern and eastern Botswana, parts of Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the coast of Mozambique. Notably absent from the Northern Cape and the interior of the Eastern Cape in South Africa, it has also been recorded as a vagrant in Israel.

Behaviour

The African swamphen is typically a sedentary bird, meaning it does not engage in long-distance migrations and tends to remain within its preferred habitat range.

Conservation Status

Although the population of the African swamphen is believed to be decreasing due to local disturbances and loss of habitat, it is currently not considered to be under threat. Conservation efforts continue to monitor the species to ensure its survival.