Black-backed Swamphen
BLACK-BACKED SWAMPHEN
Porphyrio indicus
Rallidae Family
Bird #499 - September 2016
This species is a recent split. The split has not yet been recognized by IOC.
This is the description in the Clements Checklist: "Purple Swamphen is split, following Garcia-R. and Trewick (2015), and each of the six previously recognized groups is elevated to species rank: Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, which is monotypic; Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus, which includes subspecies viridis and indicus; African Swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis, which is monotypic; Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus, which includes subspecies pelewensis, melanopterus, bellus, melanotus, and samoensis; Philippine Swamphen Porphyrio pulverulentus, which is monotypic; and Gray-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus, which includes subspecies caspius, seistanicus, and poliocephalus. Reference: Garcia-R., J.C., and S.A. Trewick. 2015. Dispersal and speciation in purple swamphens (Rallidae: Porphyrio). Auk 132: 140–155."
The different species are separated by range. We are assuming that this this black-backed species that is visibly different from Philippine Swamphen is Porphyrio indicus. Further studies are needed to confirm this. It is also possible that this is Australsian swamphen.
Read MorePorphyrio indicus
Rallidae Family
Bird #499 - September 2016
This species is a recent split. The split has not yet been recognized by IOC.
This is the description in the Clements Checklist: "Purple Swamphen is split, following Garcia-R. and Trewick (2015), and each of the six previously recognized groups is elevated to species rank: Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, which is monotypic; Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus, which includes subspecies viridis and indicus; African Swamphen, Porphyrio madagascariensis, which is monotypic; Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus, which includes subspecies pelewensis, melanopterus, bellus, melanotus, and samoensis; Philippine Swamphen Porphyrio pulverulentus, which is monotypic; and Gray-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus, which includes subspecies caspius, seistanicus, and poliocephalus. Reference: Garcia-R., J.C., and S.A. Trewick. 2015. Dispersal and speciation in purple swamphens (Rallidae: Porphyrio). Auk 132: 140–155."
The different species are separated by range. We are assuming that this this black-backed species that is visibly different from Philippine Swamphen is Porphyrio indicus. Further studies are needed to confirm this. It is also possible that this is Australsian swamphen.
