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 have shown up as far away as Georgia, South Carolina, and Bermuda

In 2006–2008, several Florida agencies attempted to reduce the population of Gray-headed Swamphens because of their negative impacts on native species. They removed 3,187 swamphens but this culling did not have a significant impact on the state’s rapidly increasing population, which has spread into northern Florida since the program ceased in 2008.

Native to southern Asia, these big marsh birds have been established in Florida since the 1990s. First noted near Pembroke Pines in 1996, the population might have originated with birds that escaped from captivity after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Now widespread around marshes and ponds in southeastern Florida, where they may number in the thousands. Some authorities treat this bird as a subspecies of the Purple Swamphen, widespread in the Old World from southern Europe to southern Africa and New Zealand

Feeding Behaviour

Forages mostly by wading along shorelines or in shallow marshes or wet fields, sometimes by climbing about in marsh vegetation, occasionally while swimming. 

Diet

Mostly plant material, including stalks, roots, leaves, and seeds of aquatic plants, especially spikerush in Florida. Also eats some insects, frogs, snails, and other small creatures, or scavenges food scraps left by humans.

Eggs

Each breeding female lays 3-7 eggs, but multiple females may lay in same nest. Eggs are tan or buff with darker brown spots. Incubation is by both sexes, and probably takes about 3 weeks. Young: Fed by adults at first. May start to find some of their own food within a few days after hatching, but adults continue to feed them for several weeks.

These birds are easily recognizable by their distinctive grey head, bright red bill, and blue-black body plumage. They have long, strong legs and toes, which are adapted to walking on floating vegetation and muddy ground. Grey-headed Swamphens are omnivores and feed on a variety of plant and animal matter, including seeds, fruit, insects, and small vertebrates.

Grey-headed Swamphens are usually found near water bodies such as marshes, swamps, and wetlands. They are highly social birds and often gather in small groups or flocks. During breeding season, males will build a large nest of reeds, grasses, and other plant material, usually near water. The female will lay several eggs, and both parents will take turns incubating them.

Overall, the Grey-headed Swamphen is a fascinating bird species with unique adaptations and behaviors that make it a fascinating subject for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.