Swamped

Grey-headed Swamphens Porphyrio poliocephalus are a species of Purple Swamphen found from the Middle East through Nepal and India to Northern Thailand. In the 1990’s some got loose in southern Florida, where they are now established. They are a sort of rail, and wade around in marshes and shallow ponds. Their bill is bright red, very large, with a shield on top that covers part of the head.

DSC09441

These ones must I think have been nesting, because a cormorant came near (right foreground), and they attacked it fiercely:

Purple Swamphens, attacking cormorant

One of the swamphens kicked and pecked it:

Purple Swamphens, attacking cormorant

And eventually they fully submerged it, or perhaps it dived and fled:

Purple Swamphens, attacking cormorant

Either way, Swamphens 1 Cormorant 0.

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