Grey-headed swamphen
A very large bluish-purple waterbird with a red bill and forehead shield, as well as red legs and feet with long toes. The tail is flicked up often, revealing fluffy white “underpants.” Juveniles are duller than adults and lack the red bill and shield. An inhabitant of marshy, vegetated freshwater bodies such as swamps, rivers, and lakes; usually in small groups. Feeds, often clumsily, at muddy water edges, in reeds, and on floating vegetation. Makes short nasal grunts and croaking sounds. Formerly part of the species known as Purple Swamphen. Florida’s wild swamphen population began with a release of captive birds, but the number and origin of these birds are unclear. Officials aren’t even sure if the original swamphens were all Gray-headed Swamphens or may have included other swamphen species. Gray-headed Swamphens may creep around marshes most of their lives, but they also have a strong capacity for dispersal, especially during times of drought. So far, Gray-headed Swamphens h...
