The Purple Swamphen is a locally common
resident breeder at Sabkhat Al Fasl with a few pairs maximum breeding at nearby
Khafrah Marsh. The
first
record for Saudi Arabia was at Sabkhat Al Fasl core area on 8 August 2003 but
numbers have expanded rapidly with 73 birds seen in May 2015.
The
species favoured habitat is large Phragmites australis reed-beds with
associated water which is available at all the sites the species has been seen
at in Saudi Arabia. Breeding was confirmed at Sabkhat Al Fasl in 2007 with
numbers increasing each year since this date. A new breeding site for the
species was found in August 2011 at Khafrah Marsh where six adults and a
juvenile were seen. This site is located 30 kilometres southwest of Sabkhat Al
Fasl. Other signs of the species expanding its range include a record from
Dhahran percolation pond, 130 kilometres to the south of Sabkhat Al Fasl in
October 2009 a recent sighting of one and possible two birds at Ash Shargiyah
Development Company Farm, Fadhili 31st January 2013 and two further birds at
Dhahran percolation pond in winter 2015. The Purple Swamphen that occurs in
Saudi Arabia is of one of the grey headed eastern / Asian subspecies from the Porphyrio
porphyrio poliocephalus group which are either Porphyrio porphyrio
caspius or Porphyrio porphyrio seistanicus. P. p. poliocephalus is
found from India and Sri Lanka to south China and north Thailand. It has
cerulean blue scapulars, face throat and breast. P. p. caspius is from
the Caspian Sea area, and is like P. p. poliocephalus, but is larger
whereas P. p. seistanicus occurs from Iraq to Pakistan, and is like P. p.
poliocephalus, but larger although smaller than P.p caspius. As mentioned previously DNA evidence from two Saudi Arabian birds I trapped and ringed indicate they are Grey-headed Swamphens P. p. poliocephalus and further samples have just been sent from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for DNA analysis that may throw some more light on the situation here.
