IDENTIFICATION

VOCALISATIONS

There are no reports of vocalising birds in HK. However, calls include a variable low-pitched ‘bark’ that may be drawn out and fade.

Also a downslurred, rather nasal call.

 DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

Most encounters with this species have been when it is in or in flight over the gei wai of Mai Po NR, usually those with Phragmites reedbeds, though occasionally in ponds dominated by mangroves. In recent years it has been recorded nearby at Lok Ma Chau, Long Valley and, further afield in the northern New Territories, at Nam Chung and Hok Tau.

OCCURRENCE

All records have been of singles from 24 August to 30 May, though as this species breeds in south China, its occurrence at any time during the summer would not be unexpected.

1988:  eight sightings at Mai Po NR from 24 August to 17 March 1989 (Lawrence et al. 1989).

1989:  Mai Po NR on 23 November.

1990:  three sightings at Mai Po NR from 13 April to 30 May and, at the same site, six sightings from 11 December to 4 May 1991.

2013:  Mai Po NR on 31 March.

2015:  Long Valley from 9 to 14 January, Nam Chung from 15 to 17 March, Lok Ma Chau on 5 May.

2017:  Hok Tau on 12 December.

2018:  Mai Po NR from 7 January to 27 February, and again on 13 April, presumed the same.

2019:  Mai Po NR on 1 February.

A series of sightings of up to two at Mai Po NR in the years 1993 to 1999 are not included in the record above as they were considered to refer to ex-captive birds, as it was known that two had disappeared from a captive collection at the nearby Fairview Park residential estate in December 1992. After the first sighting on 2 January 1993, there were further sightings on 16 and 20 April that year, followed by two more on similar dates the following year. There were no sightings at all in the winter of 1994-95 and just one in the winter of 1995-96. The winter of 1996-97 saw a flurry of reports, with seven sightings between 20 December 1996 and 30 April 1997. These reports included the only sightings of two birds together, on 12 February and 12 and 24 March 1997. Sporadic sightings continued up to 3 February 1999 and included reports on 18 August 1997 and on 21 July 1998 – both earlier than the earliest accepted date in autumn.  It is, of course, possible some birds of wild origin could have been involved.

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

There are two reports of this species being seen holding and eating thick plant stems or tubers at the edge of reeds. Shy and secretive in the densely vegetated wetlands it prefers.

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

Occurs from Turkey through areas of the Middle East, south across India and Sri Lanka, through Myanmar and Thailand to Laos and Vietnam, as well as south into the Malay Peninsula, and north into south China (Callaghan et al. 2020). Although not migratory, they are dispersive in response to changes in water levels.

The nominate form is resident in India and Sri Lanka to south China and north Thailand, as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Is.  P. p. viridis is resident from south Myanmar to central and south Vietnam, and in the Malay Peninsula, while P. p. seistanicus occurs to the west.

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: Least Concern (though currently the P. poliocephalus taxa are treated as part of ‘Purple Swamphen’ Porphyrio porphyrio).