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Purple Swamphen: Supertramp or superspecies?

10,000 Birds

Black-backed Swamphen ( Porphyrio indicus ) in Java, Indonesia, by Ron Knight. The Gray-headed Swamphen ranges from Turkey through India to northern Thailand. The western Mediterranean birds are bluish-purple all over. When split, they would retain the scientific name Porphyrio porphyrio. Black-backed Swamphen. Gray-headed Swamphen.