Juan Manuel Borrero / Illustration of Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio). Pencil and watercolor painting.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating. Christchurch, New Zealand, October. Sequence 3 of 3.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating. Christchurch, New Zealand, October. Sequence 2 of 3.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating. Christchurch, New Zealand, October. Sequence 1 of 3.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) attempting to mate. Christchurch, New Zealand, October.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus). Christchurch, New Zealand, October.

Loic Poidevin / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio potphyrio) amongst reeds, Extremadura, Spain, July

Martin Willis / Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) reflected in the water as it feeds chick, Mongers Lake, Western Australia, Australia

Jonathan Harrod / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating, Christchurch, New Zealand

Jonathan Harrod / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) chick hatching, Christchurch, New Zealand

Jonathan Harrod / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) males eagerly pursuing female, Christchurch, New Zealand

Jonathan Harrod / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair courting, Christchurch, New Zealand

Mark Hughes / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) sitting on fence post, East Clive, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Brent Stephenson / Pukeko / Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) walking on short grass. Tiritiri Matangi Island, Auckland, New Zealand, September.

Brent Stephenson / Pukeko / Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) fluffed up showing characteristic white 'warning' undertail coverts. Tiritiri Matangi Island, Auckland, New Zealand, September.

Robin Chittenden / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) amongst reeds, Algarve, Portugal, October

Konrad Wothe / Two Purple swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio) feeding on grass seeds, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia, November

Konrad Wothe / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) feeding on grass seeds, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia, November

Colin Monteath / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) near Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand

Steve Nicholls / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) pair on nest, captive, occurs Africa

Brent Stephenson / Purple Swamphen / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio) feeding its chick bits of grass stem. Tawharanui Regional Park, Auckland, New Zealand, October.

Colin Monteath / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus), Rotorua, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) wading through pond, Rotorua, New Zealand

Vincent Grafhorst / Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis) in wetland habitat, Gaborone Game Reserve, Botswana

Mike Potts / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) drinking at water's edge, Lake Herdsman, Perth, Western Australia.

Chris Gomersall / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) Rio Formosa Nature Reserve, Algarve, Portugal, March

Chris Gomersall / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) feeding on reed stem or rhizome, Rio Formosa Nature Reserve, Algarve, Portugal, March 2008

Chris Gomersall / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) on reeds, Rio Formosa Nature Reserve, Algarve, Portugal, March

Juan Carlos Munoz / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) amongst reeds in wetlands, Andalucia, Spain, March

Juan Carlos Munoz / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) walking past Flag irises on edge of marshland, Andalucia, Spain, March

Jouan & Rius / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), Murray riverland, South Australia, Australia

Jouan & Rius / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), Murray riverland, South Australia

Jouan & Rius / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) Murray riverland, South Australia, Australia

Thomas Marent / Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) wading, Bharatpur National Park, India

Ross and Diane Armstrong / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) mother with chicks, Otorohanga, New Zealand

Roger Powell / Purple Swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} preening, Victoria, Australia

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} standing in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} ruffling feathers at lake edge, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} standing in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} wading in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} standing under vegetation at lake edge, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} standing in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} ruffling feathers at lake edge, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} preening feathers at lake edge, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} wading along lake edge, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} preening feathers in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} standing in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} ruffling feathers in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Barry Mansell / American purple gallinule {Porphyrio martinicus} Florida, USA

Steven David Miller / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyio} adult feeding chick, Yanchep NP, Western Australia

Steven David Miller / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) sitting on nest, Queensland, Australia

Bernard Castelein / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} India

Juan Manuel Borrero / Purple gallinule / swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) Spain, Delta del llobregat NP

Juan Manuel Borrero / Purple gallinule / swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) Spain, Delta del llobregat NP

Konrad Wothe / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) foraging for food in tall grass, New Zealand

Tui De Roy / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) nesting in Marsh, Golden Bay, South Island, New Zealand

Tui De Roy / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) in Marsh, Golden Bay, South Island, New Zealand

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen (gallinule), Spain

Jonathan Harrod / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) wading, Christchurch, New Zealand

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) walking through wetlands, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) on ground nest, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) two chicks beside water, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) tending to eggs on nest, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Purple swamphen / gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) four eggs in nest, Spain

Steven David Miller / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} walking over lily pads, Montville, Queensland, Australia

Bernard Castelein / Purple swamphen {Porphyrio porphyrio} calling, Keoladeo Ghana / Bharatpur NP, Rajasthan, India

Robin Chittenden / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) on wetlands, Portugal, October

Mike Potts / Pukeko / Purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), feeding in a freshwater marsh, Helena Bay, North Island, New Zealand.

Mike Read / Purple swamphen (gallinule) {Porphyrio porphyrio} Algarve, Portugal