Swamphen
| Porphyrio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A purple swamphen from New Zealand (pūkeko, Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Porphyrio Brisson, 1760 |
| Species | |
For extinct species, see article text. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Notornis | |
For the Latin grammarian sometimes known as Porphyrio, see Pomponius Porphyrion.
Porphyrio is the swamphen genus of birds in the rail family. It includes some smaller species which are usually called "purple gallinules", and which are sometimes separated as genus Porphyrula or united with the gallinules proper (or "moorhens") in Gallinula. There are two living species of swamphen, the majority of the group having become extinct in the Holocene. As opposed to the Old World and especially Australasian swamphens, the four Porphyrio gallinules are distributed in the warmer regions of Africa and the Americas, barely reaching into Asia and Europe.
Species
Extant species
- Purple swamphen, formerly known as purple gallinule, Porphyrio porphyrio
- African swamphen, formerly known as African purple gallinule, Porphyrio (p.) madagascariensis
- Grey-headed swamphen, Porphyrio (p.) poliocephalus
- Takahē, or South Island takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri
Recent taxonomy changes in Porphyrula or Gallinula:
- Allen's gallinule, also known as Lesser Gallinule, Porphyrio alleni (formerly Porphyrula alleni)
- American purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinica (formerly Porphyrula martinica)
- Azure gallinule, Porphyrio flavirostris
Extinct species
- Lord Howe swamphen, Porphyrio albus (early 19th century)
- Réunion swamphen, or oiseau bleu, Porphyrio coerulescens (18th century, hypothetical species)
- Marquesas swamphen, Porphyrio paepae (prehistoric or c. 1900)
- North Island takahē, or mōho, Porphyrio mantelli (prehistoric or 1890s)
- New Caledonian swamphen, Porphyrio kukwiedei (prehistoric or more recent)
- Huahine swamphen, Porphyrio mcnabi (prehistoric)
- Buka swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
- Giant swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
- New Ireland swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
- Norfolk Island swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
- Rota swamphen, Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric)
- Mangaia swamphen/woodhen, ?Porphyrio sp. (prehistoric) - would belong into Porphyrula, Gallinula or Pareudiastes
References
- Taylor, P. Barry & van Perlo, Ber (1998): Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven. ISBN 0-300-07758-0
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