African Swamphen

Porphyrio madagascariensis

The African swamphen is a species of swamphen occurring in Egypt, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It used to be considered a subspecies of the western swamphen, which it resembles, but with bronze green or green-blue back and scapulars. It also resembles the grey-headed swamphen of Asia, sharing the greenish back with it, but lacking the paler grey head of that species.

Scientific name

Porphyrio madagascariensis

Family

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots