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Genus Porphyrio
Lord Howe Island Swamphen - This bird was first described by John White in his Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales , which also contained an illustration. It was not uncommon when the bird was first described, but was soon hunted to extinction by whalers and sailors.
Allen - Its breeding habitat is marshes and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa. They build a floating nest in marshes and swamps, laying 2-5 eggs. This species is partially migratory, undertaking seasonal movements.
Porphyrio coerulescens - The Réunion Swamphen, Réunion Gallinule or Oiseau bleu is a hypothetical species of extinct rail from Réunion, Mascarenes until now only known from reports of travellers.
Azure Gallinule - The bill and frontal shield is a pale greenish-yellow.The wing coverts are greenish-blue while the back and tail are browner. The throat and underparts are white while the legs are yellow.
Takahe - The Takahē or South Island Takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand and belonging to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct after the last four known specimens were taken in 1898. However, after a carefully planned search effort the bird was rediscovered by Geoffrey Orbell near Lake Te Anau in the Murchison Mountains, South Island, on November 20, 1948. The specific scientific name commemorates the Austrian geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter.
Porphyrio kukwiedei - It is known only from subfossil remains, and it is not known when it became extinct. However a passage from an 1860 article refers to birds the size of turkeys being present in marshy areas of New Caledone, suggesting that it may have survived into historic times. The native name n'dino is thought to refer to this bird.
Takahe - The decline of the species has generally been attributed to the increasing incursion of forest into the alpine grasslands through the Holocene, although hunting by the Māori probably also played a role.
American Purple Gallinule - This medium-sized rail is unmistakable, with its huge yellow feet, purple-blue plumage with a green back, and red and yellow bill. It has a pale blue forehead shield and white undertail.
Purple Gallinule - There are 13 or more subspecies of the Purple Swamphen which differ mainly in the plumage colours. The subspecies groups are: