African Swamphen

While looking at the African swamphen the question arose in my mind as to the relationship of the swamphen to the gallinule and the coot. The answer is that they are all members of the Family Rallidae, which includes crakes, coots, rails, weka, woodhens, sora, nativehens, moorhens, swamphens, water cocks and bush-hens. 

While riding in a wood motorboat in the Madamba Swamp of Uganda the guide noted an African swamphen. I knew I'd seen a swamphen before, but wasn't sure if it was this same species. It wasn't, it was a gray-headed swamphen which I saw in Sri Lanka. For this African version, I had a hard time getting a good photo, but thankfully, my granddaughter was able to get several of them and I am including her photos. 

First, the two best photos, taken by my granddaugher. 

This photo, and the next two, are my photos.

An illustration of the African swamphen from Birds of the World.

The African swamphen has a triangular red bill; a red frontal shield connected to the bill; pink legs and long pink toes; a dull purple nape (behind the head or neck) and upper mantle (the upperparts between the base of the nape and the rump, running along the spine); a light blue face, throat and upper breast; dull purple lower breast and flanks; a blackish belly; and scapulars (feathers that cover the top of the wing when the bird is at rest) and tertials (innermost flight feathers of the wing) are bronze-green to dark olive on the rump and tail.  

It is found in Egypt, sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Range from Birds of the World.