FAMILY NAME: Rallidae GENUS/SPECIES: Porphyrio porphyrio SUB-SPECIES: mellanotus and bellus
SIZE: 44 to 48cm. (17" to 19") tip to tail.
LOCATION: The sub-species "melanotus" is found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and the islands of the south west Pacific. The sub-species "bellus" is found in the south west corner of Australia
BREEDING: Often having two broods in a year, they live in family groups and all members care for the young.
GENERAL: These birds have a sturdy red bill and frontal shield, and the iris is red also. The head and upperparts are black, neck and underside are deep blue/purple, and the undertail coverts are white. They have red/orange legs with very large and strong feet. They are strong flyers and swimmers, but prefer to wade in the shallows and around the banks of freshwater ponds and marshes. Their diet consists mainly of vegetation such as reed roots and water lily bulbs, and they eat insects and molluscs as well.
References:
Michael Morecombe. Field Guide to Australian Birds, Complete Compact Edtion.
Ken Simpson - Nicholas Day. The Birds of Australia.
M. Blakers - S. J. J. F. Davies - P. N. Reilly. The Atlas of Australian Birds.
Birds in Backyards. www.birdsinbackyards.net
