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15 Australian Birds (Episode 2)

10,000 Birds

Readers with a pornographic mindset will enjoy the following information about the Dusky Moorhen: “Simultaneously promiscuous, forming breeding groups of 2–7 apparently unrelated birds; individuals sometimes switch groups between seasons. Within group, all males copulate with all females.” ” (HBW).

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Purple Swamphen: Supertramp or superspecies?

10,000 Birds

The colorful Purple Swamphen ( Porphyrio porphyrio ) lives in wetlands from Portugal and Senegal all the way east to New Zealand and the Samoan Islands, and a feral population is now well established in Florida. Australasian Swamphen ( Porphyrio melanotus ) in Papua New Guinea by David J. If split, their scientific name would be P.

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Filling the Gap Left By DeBooy’s Rail

10,000 Birds

By far the most commonly seen bird on most of the islands in the region – and the only one every islander can identify on call – is Gallus gallus (the feral chicken). Also frequent escapees (or very free ranging domestics) are guinea fowl and to a lesser extent a number of other gamebirds up to and including peacocks.