Lord Howe Swamphen

Porphyrio albus · Extinct species of rail from Lord Howe Island
Order
Gruiformes
Conservation
extinct
Codes
lohswa1, WHSW, LHSW

About the Lord Howe Swamphen

The white swamphen, also known as the Lord Howe swamphen, Lord Howe gallinule or white gallinule, is an extinct species of rail which lived on Lord Howe Island, east of Australia. It was first encountered when the crews of British ships visited the island between 1788 and 1790, and all contemporary accounts and illustrations were produced during this time. Today, two skins exist: the holotype in the Natural History Museum of Vienna, and another in Liverpool's World Museum. Although historical confusion has existed about the provenance of the specimens and the classification and anatomy of the bird, it is now thought to have been a distinct species endemic to Lord Howe Island and most similar to the Australasian swamphen. Subfossil bones have also been discovered since.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderGruiformes
FamilyRails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae)
SpeciesPorphyrio albus
Species Codeslohswa1, WHSW, LHSW
Conservationextinct

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Lord Howe Swamphen belong to?

The Lord Howe Swamphen (Porphyrio albus) belongs to the Rails, Gallinules, and Coots family (Rallidae), in the order Gruiformes.

How can I identify the Lord Howe Swamphen?

The white swamphen, also known as the Lord Howe swamphen, Lord Howe gallinule or white gallinule, is an extinct species of rail which lived on Lord Howe Island, east of Australia. It was first encountered when the crews of British ships visited the island between 1788 and 1790, and all contemporary ...

Where can I report a Lord Howe Swamphen sighting?

You can log sightings of Lord Howe Swamphen on eBird (ebird.org) using species code lohswa1, or on iNaturalist.