Australasian swamphen
The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) is a species of swamphen (Porphyrio) found in eastern Indonesia (the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands), Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand, it is known as the pukeko (from the Māori pūkeko). The species used to be thought a subspecies of the purple swamphen.
| Australasian swamphen | |
|---|---|
| |
| P. melanotus at Waikawa, Marlborough, New Zealand | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Rallidae |
| Genus: | Porphyrio |
| Species: | P. melanotus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Porphyrio melanotus (Temminck, 1820)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus | |
Distribution
The Australasian swamphen occurs in mainland Australia, eastern Indonesia, the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands, and in Papua New Guinea. It is also found on New Zealand's main islands and in the Chatham and Kermadec Islands. It has a small shield, black upperparts, and a purple throat and breast. P. p. pelewensis (Hartlaub & Finsch, 1872) from Palau, looks like melanotus but has greener upperparts and is smaller. P. p. melanopterus (Bonaparte, 1856) is found from the Lesser Sundas and Moluccas to New Guinea. It is as melanotus but smaller, more variable and less blue in the upperparts. P. p. bellus (Gould, 1820) from Western Australia is as melanotus but has a cerulean blue throat and breast. P. p. samoensis (Peale, 1848) occurs from New Guinea to New Caledonia and Samoa, and is as melanotus but smaller, with a little brown on the back
Australasian Swamphen Media
In flight in Pāuatahanui Wildlife Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand
Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus chick
Traffic sign in New Zealand cautioning drivers of nearby pūkeko
