In his Saturday Age column on 1/10, ‘The case against the swamphen’, Robert Drewe described the Purple Swamphen thus:
‘It’s a tallish, bulky, gaunt bird…taller than the average rooster and, in a masked Darth Vader sort of way, more menacing in appearance…[It] has sinister black feathers, which blend into an oily purple ruff around the neck. [Its head has] a red skullcap of plastic-looking, cartilaginous stuff, which descends into a mask from which black eyes glint cunningly and a disproportionately large, horny beak.
‘The swamphen has an edgy demeanour, skinny legs and three long, unwebbed toes…on which it strides and sprints across reeds and lily-pads, defecating heedlessly as it goes.’
Next, about the swamphen’s supposed lack of flying prowess: ‘[It] flaps and flies about as high and successfully as a domestic chicken.’
The real point of the piece comes after all this, arguably slanderous stuff (can you slander a bird?).
Drewe witnessed swamphens grabbing ducklings and cygnets. He claims to have seen this at least three times. Then, recently, one bit him while he tried to jog around it. Hence, the ugly, hate-crime rhetoric about its looks and demeanour. (It’s a very funny article.)
Never having suffered an attack by one, I must leap to the defence of swamphens. They’re fun to photograph with some bit of stuff in their (long, unwebbed) feet. And they fly quite fast round these parts. Wandering around on top of huge reed beds is pretty neat, too.
Could it be time to start a Purple Swamphen Appreciation Society?
Has anyone apart from (professional yarnspinner) Mr Drewe seen a swamphen grab a duckling or cygnet?
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Hi All,
Several years ago I witnessed a swamphen take a Chestnut Teal duckling (tealing?) at the ponds beside the Maribyrnong River on Smithfield Rd, so can certainly vouch for this behaviour as fact. I have yet to be attacked by one and pass many along Skeleton Creek on regular walks. Maybe it’s running they object to?
Cheers
Joy Tansey Altona Meadows
Is his problem really with the fact that they eat baby birds, or that it pecked him? I’d say his real problem is that people are feeding them, otherwise it would have run for its life when he was still 20m away.
Peter Shute
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Let’s face it – an awful lot of birds (including honeyeaters and some parrots) eat other animals. But so long as they are “only” insects etc and not cute baby ducks no-one “cares”! I remember when I used to keep chooks in the backyard being most surprised the first time their scratchings uncovered a mouse nest – they really loved those baby mice!
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Surely this is no different to so many birds that prey on living creatures – particularly but by no means limited to raptors?? Square-tailed Kites take nestlings from other birds as their specialty – do we call them mean?
Cheers David Stowe
I share his views – I’ve certainly seen a swamphen take a duckling – in fact I managed a pic of it (right place, right time). It’s online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/59388783@N00/4200006390/
It carried the duckling back to its own nest, pulled it apart and fed it to its own youngsters. All quite gruesome, and mother Black duck appeared very upset. this happened a couple of years ago in Norgrove Park in Canberra, a small man-made wetland on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.
sandra henderson canberra
On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 10:27 PM, Debbie Lustigwrote:
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I share his views – I’ve certainly seen a swamphen take a duckling – in fact I managed a pic of it (right place, right time). It’s online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/59388783@N00/4200006390/
It carried the duckling back to its own nest, pulled it apart and fed it to its own youngsters. All quite gruesome, and mother Black duck appeared very upset. this happened a couple of years ago in Norgrove Park in Canberra, a small man-made wetland on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.
sandra henderson canberra
On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 10:27 PM, Debbie Lustigwrote:
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From Pizzey & Knight:
“takes eggs/young, scavenges dead birds, fish”
It’s a tough world out there!
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Have seen a swamphen take a coot chick and skulk away without parents realising what happened.
They are very strong flyers and were one of the first birds to appear at a newly constructed wetlands at Freshwater Creek Wetlands, Chullora, some years ago, how did they know?
Darryl McKay Bankstown
I didn’t actually witness it myself, but was with a group that saw one take a Dusky Moorhen chick. I certainly saw the parents’ response.
Pizzey says they take young and eggs, and will eat dead birds. Small birds like crakes keep well clear of them.
They also become unafraid of humans when regularly fed, and insistent. I’m often approached by them at Newport Lakes (Melbourne), and it wouldn’t surprise me if they occasionally become aggressive when denied food. Perhaps that’s what happened in this case.
Peter Shute
I also loved Robert Drewe’s piece. I was, however, surprised by his observations as I have never thought of them as being so aggressive. I have seen them eat all sorts of things, but have not witnessed them grabbing ducklings and the like. I will keep watching (from a safe distance, of course). Merrilyn
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At the time of the incident I refer to, my daughter may have been considered a cygnet (a much more attractive prospect than a duckling). She did have food in her hand at the time and a Purple Swamphen removed the food, and some of the skin from her finger, in an unprovoked attack. My daughter has, ever since, considered the Purple Swamphen more obnoxious even than swooping magpies.
Regards, Clive.