HAVE you ever seen this bird crossing the road in front of you?
They can look like a purple chicken, but they’re actually an Australasian Swamp hen. They are regularly seen on the roadside as they like to be near water and are attracted by the water in roadside ditches.
Australasian Swamp hens are a large waterbird with a distinctive thick red bill and forehead shield. They have red eyes, deep blue head and breast with black upper parts and wings.
In bright sunlight, the plumage shines with an intense blue sheen. Long, reddish legs with long, slender unwebbed toes help them to walk and feed in shallow water. They have a white under-tail that is exposed when they flick their tail up and down while feeding.
Australasian Swamp hens are common throughout many areas of eastern and northern Australia, as well as Tasmania. They’re generally found grazing around the edges of freshwater swamps, lakes and creeks surrounded by dense reeds and rushes. It is in this environment that they can find food, build nests and find protection from danger.
For such a bulky bird, the Swamp hen is an accomplished flier and will readily take to the air to escape danger. In flight, the long legs and elongated toes trail behind or hand underneath the body. Although they are proficient swimmers, they prefer to wander on the edges of the water, among reeds and on floating vegetation.
The diet of the Swamp hen includes the soft shoots of reeds and rushes, seeds, insects and small animals like frogs and snails. They’re also known to steal eggs, and will eat ducklings if they can catch them! They have the strength to pull up reeds and use their long toes to grasp food while eating.
While most birds live in pairs with only the current season’s chicks, Australasian Swamp hens live in large extended family groups that usually consist of more males than females. Their nest is a platform of trampled reeds, with the surrounding vegetation sometimes being used to form shelter.
All family members, and occasionally the young from the previous brood share in incubation, feeding, care of the young and chasing away predators.
BirdLife East Gippsland meet weekly for Monday morning outings. New members are always welcome.
Check out the official Facebook group and BirdLife Australia events page for more information.
