Common name  Swamp hen
Maori name   Pukeko
Scientific name  Porphyrio melantotus

The population of Pukeko in Christchurch more than doubles in autumn/winter as hundreds of birds arrive from rural areas to form winter flocks at traditional sites around the city. These sites are all "lowland wet
grassland" habitats and occupy areas that were once swamp and native grassland. Long-term monitoring of peak pukeko populations at key wintering sites around the city commenced in the early-mid 1980s and takes place in June each year.  The Christchurch City Council’s Ranger team monitors the species.

Although the bulk (70-80%) of Christchurch's wintering Pukeko population is accommodated in the seven sites monitored, the species is also widespread in smaller pockets all over the Christchurch district and
remain established in places from which it had completely disappeared during the 1980s and 90s, for example, the Heathcote Valley/Ferrymead and much of Banks Peninsula.

What makes the pukeko in New Zealand special is that we share a unique sub-species with Australia and New Guinea, and that rather than being secret dwellers of swamps, our birds boldly feed out in the open and form quite sizeable social flocks.

Spread
 

• Widespread throughout New Zealand and Chatham Islands
• Occasionally windborne to the Kermadec and Campbell Islands
• Native to New Zealand although subspecies widespread in a number of countries

 Description

• Member of the rail family
• Closely related to takahe (Notornis) weka, banded rail, spotless crake and marsh crake
• Plumage mainly indigo blue, head and wings black with greenish gloss
• Adults grow to 51 cm
• Weight males 1050 grams, females 850 grams
• When disturbed pukeko flick their tails and white feathers become more prominent
• Bills, legs and feet are scarlet, eyes are ruby red.
• Males are slightly bigger than females
• Live 3-6 years.  Oldest recorded in NZ is 9 years
• Feet are not webbed
• Pukeko make two sounds: a piercing squawk also a subdued musical ‘tuk – tuk’

 Habits

• Ungraceful when flying
• Clumsy take off and landing
• Often crash land into trees
• Swift runner
• Good swimmer
• Eats soft parts of aquatic plants, grasses, clover berries and seeds.
• Also eats insects, worms, fish (eels) and occasionally young birds and birds’ eggs

 Habitats

• Lives in swamps, along lake shores, and in poorly drained pasture land
• Holds food in its foot like parrot and strips or macerates with powerful bill
• Often seen on roadsides foraging for food and collecting grit, which aids digestion

 History

• Some sources suggest that the Pukeko became established in New Zealand 1,000 years ago
• No fossil evidence has been found at sites less then 400 years old
• No evidence on main islands of New Zealand before the Maori arrived 

 Breeding

• Occurs mainly between August and March
• Nests consist of untidy bowls of grass or other vegetation
• Nests are built by males
• Four to nine buff coloured eggs are laid. These are blotched with purple
• Egg stealing may occur if nesting closely together
• 2/3 hens may share a nest
• Both sexes share incubation
• Incubation takes about 4 weeks

 Comment

• Along with the kiwi two pukeko featured on the Christchurch City Coat of Arms 
• Pukeko have the status of being a protected native game-bird, meaning that it can only be hunted under licence during duck shooting season (May to July).