Australasian Swamphen

Australian Swamphen

Toowoomba, Queensland

Australasian swamphens are widely distributed across eastern Indonesia ( the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands) , Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Habitat 

Australasian swamphens prefer wet areas with ample rainfall such as freshwater or brackish ponds, slow flowing rivers flanked by reeds and sedges, marshes, and swamps  It is also found on seasonally flooded wetlands.

Feeding

The Australasian swamphen is a "gregarious"(sociable) bird that forages amongst reeds for tender shoots and other vegetable matter. However, they are omnivores and will eat small fish, amphibians, ducklings, snails and eggs. They will often use their foot to bring food to the mouth rather than eating straight from the ground..

Breeding

The Australasian swamphen prefers to nest in warm reed beds where they lay three to six pale grey to buff speckled eggs on a mass of floating debris or amongst matted reeds or grasses above the water level. They are mostly monogamous but also breed cooperatively with a number of males and females sharing a nest, incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. Also  breeding pairs are helped by adult birds from the previous clutch.

Wildfile Specials
  • Australasian swamphens are joint-nesters and multiple females will lay their eggs in the same nest.
  • When threatened, swamphens will often walk  rather than fly.  Maybe this is because take-offs and landings are clumsy.  Flights are usually short. 
  • Australasiian swamphens live in groups of between three and twelve individuals. They defend nests by grouping together and shrieking loudly.
  • In New Zealand, swamphens are protected as native gamebirds and can only be hunted under licence during the duck shooting season.
  • Swamphens  were sometimes eaten by Māoris but were not rated highly as they were sinewy and tough.
  • In New Zealand the swamphen is known as the "pukeko and in Samoa "manuali'i" and is held in high esteem in both Maori and Samoan cultures.  This is because of their red  face, beaks and legs, a colour associated with power and nobility. 
  • In Samoa only chiefs could keep swamphens as pets. 
  • Some Samoans believed the swamphen was a demon called Vave characterised by mischief and aggression.
  • In New Zealand the Maoris regarded Pukeko as bold and scheming a they raided gardens and fields.
  • The Maoris called stubborn, annoying peope  pukekos.