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PURPLE SWAMPHEN
  Bird Call
| Characteristics: |
45 to 50 cm long. Plumage is an overall blue-turquoise colour with a prominent white patch under its tail. Bright red bill and frontal shield, and red legs. Often twitches with its tail. Mostly stays hidden in the vegetation and is seldom found on open expanses of water.
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| Call: |
Wide repertoire of vocalisations, mostly heard at night. Typically loud, repeated notes, mostly with a nasal quality, some sounding a like a long, slow laugh.
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| Habitat: |
Inhabits swamps and the shores of standing and running bodies of water that are dense and not too overgrown. |
| Distribution: |
Parts of Southern Europe and Asia, Africa south of the Sahara, parts of Australia and New Zealand. |
| Biology: |
The Purple Swamphen feeds mostly on plant parts and on small animals such as worms, insects and snails. The nest is a large construction of stalks and leaves and is well hidden in the vegetation. The female lays between 2 and 5 cream to light brown coloured eggs with reddish brown and grey speckles. Clutches from the end of March.
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