ReefBlitz Common Bird Species

The Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio is a "swamp hen" in the rail family Rallidae. Also known locally as the Pūkeko, African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule or Purple Coot. From its French name talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird. This chicken-sized bird, with its large feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield is easily-recognisable in its native range. less ↑

The Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the family Rallidae. This species comprises several subspecies found throughout much of Australasia and the south-west Pacific region, including the Philippines (where it is known as Tikling), New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand (where it is known as the Banded Rail or Moho-pereru in Māori), and numerous smaller islands, covering a range of latitudes from the tropics to the Subantarctic. less ↑