Western Swamphen
Western SwamphenWestern SwamphenWestern SwamphenWestern Swamphen

Western Swamphen

Porphyrio porphyrio

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Camargue
23 Verified sightings at Camargue From 2019 to 2026
6,055 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Western Swamphen

The western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a species of swamphen in the rail family Rallidae, one of the six species of purple swamphen. This chicken-sized bird, with its large feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield is easily recognisable in its native range. It used to be considered the nominate subspecies of the purple swamphen, but is now recognised as a separate species. The western swamphen is found in wetlands in Spain (where the largest population lives), Portugal, southeastern France, Italy (Sardinia and Sicily) and northwestern Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).

The western swamphen was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the coots in the genus Fulica and coined the binomial name Fulica porphyrio. The specific epithet porphyrio is Latin for a swamphen. The word is from Ancient Greek πορφυριον (porphurion) meaning "swamphen" which in turn is from πορφυρα (porphura) meaning "purple". The species had been described in 1678 by the English ornithologist Francis Willughby under that Latin name Porphyrio and English name "purple water-hen". Linnaeas specified... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Camargue

Eurasian Coot
LC

Eurasian Coot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fulica atra

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Water Rail
LC

Water Rail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rallus aquaticus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Spotted Crake
LC

Spotted Crake

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Porzana porzana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Baillon's Crake

Baillon's Crake

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Porzana pusilla

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Common Crane
LC

Common Crane

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Grus grus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
2 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~40%
3 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~30%
4 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
5 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
6 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
7 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
8 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
9 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
10 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
11 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
12 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
13 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
14 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
16 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
<5%
17 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
18 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
19 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
20 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
22 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
23 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
24 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
25 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
26 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
27 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
28 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
29 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
30 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
31 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
32 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
33 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
34 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
35 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
37 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
38 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
39 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
40 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
41 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
42 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
43 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
44 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
45 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
46 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
47 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
48 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
49 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
50 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
51 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
52 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
53 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
54 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
55 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
56 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
57 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
58 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
59 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
60 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
61 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
62 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
63 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Western Swamphen in Camargue?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Swamphen sighting in Camargue, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Western Swamphen in Camargue?

February has the highest sighting rate for Western Swamphen in Camargue in our monthly data.

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