Western Swamphen

Porphyrio porphyrio

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderGruiformes (Cranes, Rails, and Allies)
FamilyRallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
GenusPorphyrio (Swamphens and Blue Gallinules)
SpeciesPorphyrio porphyrio (Western Swamphen)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Doi Inthanon National Park

1 Verified sightings at Doi Inthanon National Park From 2019 to 2026

6,055 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ 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 Doi Inthanon National Park

Amaurornis phoenicurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Gallinula chloropus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Porzana fusca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Fulica atra

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Rallina fasciata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Gallirallus striatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

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

← Back to Doi Inthanon National Park

Western Swamphen

About the Western Swamphen

Recent sightings of Western Swamphen in Doi Inthanon National Park

Closest Relatives at Doi Inthanon National Park

White-breasted Waterhen

Common Moorhen

Ruddy-breasted Crake

Eurasian Coot

Red-legged Crake

Slaty-breasted Rail

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found