Asian Swamp hens have a green back. Swamphens are about the size of a chicken. Swamphens have large webless feet, very colorful plumage, and a bright red beak and frontal shield. Purple Swamp hens, Porphyrio porphyrio are also called African Swamphens. Other parts of the world they are named Purple Moorhen and Purple Gallinule, or the Purple Coot. It is a large bird in the family Rallidae. P. p. poliocephalus is from the tropical parts of Asia. The swamp hen lives in India, Sri Lanka, southern China and Thailand. The swamphen is very noisy in breeding season. It is very clumsy in flight but can still fly long distances. Swamphens are also great swimmers even though they do not have webbed feet. The IUCN considers swamp hens to be of Least Concern. Romans kept Purple Swamphens at their villas and mansions as ornamental birds. Swamphens can be mixed with waterfowl but they do not swim in a pond, they wade. Swamphens in winter can have their feet freeze. They walk on lilly pads and have very long toes. They do well in warmer climates but would need to be protected from the extreme cold because their feet can freeze. Swamphens eat canned cat food, soaked cat food, fruit, shrimp and other types of meat.
