Template:POTD/2010-10-01
The Pūkeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) is a subspecies of the Purple Swamphen, native to New Zealand and elsewhere in Australasia. The name comes from the Māori language; the bird is highly revered in Māori culture because the colour red is associated with nobility and power, and the species has red beaks and legs. It is unknown how the species spread to New Zealand from Australia. It may have been brought by ancestors of Māori, or it may have arrived there on its own.Photo: Fir0002