Purple swamphen #6 Canvas Print

Purple Swamphen

Scientific name: Porphyrio porphyrio
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
What does it look like?

Description

The Purple Swamphen is a large rail. It is mainly dusky black above, with a broad dark blue collar, and dark blue to purple below. 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. For such a bulky bird, the Swamphen is an accomplished flier and will readily take to the air to escape danger. In flight, the long legs and elongated toes trail behind or hang underneath the body. Purple Swamphens are proficient swimmers, but prefer to wander on the edges of the water, among reeds and on floating vegetation.

Where does it live?

Distribution

Purple Swamphens are common throughout eastern and northern Australia, with a separate subspecies common in the extreme south-west of the continent. Birds have transported themse...

Masami Iida is an award-winning painter/photographer with a variety of interests that capture the beauty in our world. Masami Iida's artwork can be found throughout North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, China and Australia. He was born just outside of Tokyo, Japan where he lived until he ventured to America to study. He attended universities in Iowa, Seattle, and New Jersey from 1982 to 1986. He received a Bachelor's degree from the Montclair State University with a major in linguistics and a minor in art. After a short return to Japan, Masami moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1987 and dedicated himself to painting. Masami has over 30 years of painting experience and has captured the beauty of the human body, nature, landscapes and...