PUKEKO
PUKEKO (Porphyrio melanotus) – (See images below)
Pukeko is the Maori name for the swamp or purple moorhen. It has long legs and dark blue-purple feathers, with the characteristic red frontal ‘shield’, a feature common to moorhens and coots. It is considered as an introduced species, perhaps even self-introduced. It is not threatened, although it is vulnerable to roadkill, due to its habit of searching for grit along the roads.
Pukeko is the Maori name for the swamp or purple moorhen. It has long legs and dark blue-purple feathers, with the characteristic red frontal ‘shield’, a feature common to moorhens and coots. It is considered as an introduced species, perhaps even self-introduced. It is not threatened, although it is vulnerable to roadkill, due to its habit of searching for grit along the roads.
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| Pukeko and Red-billed gull, NZ |