South-west Pacific Swamphen
South-west Pacific SwamphenSouth-west Pacific SwamphenSouth-west Pacific SwamphenSouth-west Pacific Swamphen

South-west Pacific Swamphen

Porphyrio melanotus

<5% · Rare
overall probability at Arthur's Pass National Park
13 Verified records at Arthur's Pass National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), commonly known as the pūkeko in New Zealand, is a striking and socially complex bird found in Oceania, including eastern Indonesia (the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands), Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. A member of the rail family, it is part of the diverse order Gruiformes, which includes species with similar characteristics such as cranes and other rail species. Within the Australasian swamphen species, five recognised subspecies exist, with P. m. melanotus being the most common and widely distributed in New Zealand. They display phenotypic characteristics typical of rails: relatively short wings and strong, elongated bills, adapted to its semi-aquatic lifestyle in wetlands. The swamphen is renowned for its distinctive blue-purple plumage, striking red frontal shield, and strong red legs. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a South-west Pacific Swamphen sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Arthur's Pass National Park

Weka
VU Endemic

Weka

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallirallus australis

5–10% · With luck
Eurasian Coot
LC

Eurasian Coot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fulica atra

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
10–20
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
50–60%
2 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
3 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
4 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
5 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
6 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
7 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
8 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
5–10%
9 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
10 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
11 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
13 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
14 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
15 Lorentz National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
16 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
17 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
18 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
19 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a South-west Pacific Swamphen in Arthur's Pass National Park?

About 3% of wildlife watchers report a South-west Pacific Swamphen sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see South-west Pacific Swamphen in Arthur's Pass National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for South-west Pacific Swamphen in Arthur's Pass National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Arthur's Pass National Park