{{Short description|Genus of birds}} {{For|the Latin grammarian sometimes known as Porphyrio|Pomponius Porphyrion}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = Middle Miocene-Present {{fossilrange|15|0}} | image = Purpurhuhn.jpg | image_caption = Western swamphen ''Porphyrio porphyrio'' in Mallorca, Spain | taxon = Porphyrio | authority = Brisson, 1760 | type_species = ''Porphyrio porphyrio'' | type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text | synonyms = ''Notornis''<br/> ''Porphyrula'' }}
'''''Porphyrio''''', also known as '''swamphens''' or '''swamp hens''', is a genus of semi-aquatic birds in the rail family Rallidae. It includes some smaller species of gallinules which are sometimes separated as the genus ''Porphyrula'' or united with the gallinules proper (or "moorhens") in the genus ''Gallinula''. The ''Porphyrio'' gallinules are distributed in the warmer regions of the world. The group probably originated in Africa in the Middle Miocene, before spreading across the world in waves from the Late Miocene to the Pleistocene.<ref name=":0" />
The genus ''Porphyrio'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the western swamphen (''Porphyrio porphyrio'') as the type species.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, ou, Méthode Contenant la Division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes & leurs Variétés | language=French, Latin | at=[https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36010447 Vol. 1, p. 48], [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36294928 Vol. 5, p. 522] | place=Paris | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1934 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=2 | publisher=Harvard University Press | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=207 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14483020 | access-date=2019-04-04 | archive-date=2019-04-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404083338/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14483020 | url-status=live }}</ref> The genus name ''Porphyrio'' is the Latin name for "swamphen".<ref name= job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 |page = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n314 314]}}</ref>
==Species== The genus contains 10 extant species and two that have become extinct in historical times:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web | editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2019 | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=World Bird List Version 9.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=3 April 2019 | archive-date=20 May 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520140554/https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
===Extant species=== * Purple swamphen complex<ref>{{cite journal | last=Sangster | first=G. | year=1998 | title=Purple Swamp-hen is a complex of species | journal=Dutch Birding | volume=20 | issue=1 | pages=13–22 | url=https://www.dutchbirding.nl/journal/pdf/DB_1998_20_1.pdf#page=19 | access-date=2019-04-04 | archive-date=2019-04-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404113759/https://www.dutchbirding.nl/journal/pdf/DB_1998_20_1.pdf#page=19 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite journal | last1=García-R | first1=J.C. | last2=Trewick | first2=S.A. | year=2015 | title=Dispersal and speciation in purple swamphens (Rallidae: ''Porphyrio'') | journal=Auk | volume=122 | issue=1 | pages=140–155 | doi=10.1642/AUK-14-114.1 | doi-access=free }}</ref> ** Western swamphen, ''Porphyrio porphyrio'' ** African swamphen, ''Porphyrio madagascariensis'' ** Grey-headed swamphen, ''Porphyrio poliocephalus'' ** Black-backed swamphen, ''Porphyrio indicus'' ** Philippine swamphen, ''Porphyrio pulverulentus'' ** Australasian swamphen or pūkeko, ''Porphyrio melanotus'' * South Island takahē, ''Porphyrio hochstetteri'' * Allen's gallinule or lesser gallinule, ''Porphyrio alleni'' (formerly ''Porphyrula alleni'') * American purple gallinule, ''Porphyrio martinica'' (formerly ''Porphyrula martinica'') * Azure gallinule, ''Porphyrio flavirostris''
===Extinct species=== * White swamphen or Lord Howe swamphen ''Porphyrio albus'' (early 19th century) * Réunion swamphen or ''{{lang|fr|oiseau bleu}}'', ''Porphyrio coerulescens'' (18th century, hypothetical species) * Marquesas swamphen, ''Porphyrio paepae'' (prehistoric or {{circa|1900}}) * North Island takahē or ''{{lang|mi|moho}}'', ''Porphyrio mantelli'' (prehistoric or the 1890s) * New Caledonian swamphen, ''Porphyrio kukwiedei'' (prehistoric or more recent) * Huahine swamphen, ''Porphyrio mcnabi'' (prehistoric)<!-- *PacScience60:281 --> * ''Porphyrio claytongreenei'' (prehistoric)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Worthy |first1=Trevor Henry |last2=Scofield |first2=Richard Paul |last3=Suresh |first3=Sneha |last4=Barker |first4=Simon J. |last5=Wilson |first5=Colin J. N. |last6=Williams |first6=Paul W. |last7=Baker |first7=Joel A. |date=26 January 2026 |title=The first Early Pleistocene ( ca 1 Ma) fossil terrestrial vertebrate fauna from a cave in New Zealand reveals substantial avifaunal turnover in the last million years |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03115518.2025.2605684#d1e985 |journal=Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology |language=en |pages=1–40 |doi=10.1080/03115518.2025.2605684 |issn=0311-5518 |access-date=3 February 2026 |via=Taylor and Francis Online|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * Buka swamphen, ''Porphyrio'' sp. (prehistoric) * New Ireland swamphen, ''Porphyrio'' sp. (prehistoric) * Norfolk Island swamphen, ''Porphyrio'' sp. (prehistoric) * Rota swamphen, ''Porphyrio'' sp. (prehistoric) * Mangaia swamphen/woodhen, ?''Porphyrio'' sp. (prehistoric) - would belong into ''Porphyrula'', ''Gallinula'' or ''Pareudiastes'' (the latter genus if it is considered valid)
==References== {{Reflist}} *Taylor, P. Barry & van Perlo, Ber (1998): ''Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots of the world''. Yale University Press, New Haven. {{ISBN|0-300-07758-0}}
==External links== {{Commons category multi|Porphyrio|Rallidae}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNx8x0dpZXc&t=2s Swamphens fighting, Centennial Park, Sydney], YouTube * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exwg3LhJse8 Swamphens fighting, Centennial Park, Sydney], YouTube
{{Gruiformes|R.|state=collapsed}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1137291}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Porphyrio Category:Taxa named by Mathurin Jacques Brisson
{{Gruiformes-stub}}