I agree the pattern of the plumage matches the drawing of the Purple Swamphen in my field guide slightly better (which of the wings, neck, head, breast are brown or grey), but I discounted the Purple Swamphen because the silhouette of its bill didn't really match.
This second picture I took, while out of focus, shows the bill slightly better and possibly shows a yellow tip on the bill like the Dusky Moorhen and unlike the Purple Swamphen. Unfortunately I was in totally the wrong light to get a good shot of the bird's true colours, especially the colour of its eye which would have been very handy.
Dusky Moorhen over a Purple Swamphen. The bill in a Purple Swamphen would be more larger than here, and the bird bigger and bulkier. Whereas this looks very much like a Dusky Moorhen.
I'm fairly sure it is a Purple Swamp Hen.
Ray
Why are you fairly sure it's a Purple Swamphen?
I agree the pattern of the plumage matches the drawing of the Purple Swamphen in my field guide slightly better (which of the wings, neck, head, breast are brown or grey), but I discounted the Purple Swamphen because the silhouette of its bill didn't really match.
This second picture I took, while out of focus, shows the bill slightly better and possibly shows a yellow tip on the bill like the Dusky Moorhen and unlike the Purple Swamphen. Unfortunately I was in totally the wrong light to get a good shot of the bird's true colours, especially the colour of its eye which would have been very handy.
[link=http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BQmaxVD6TWiTdUVe9pfpgQ?feat=embedwe..."][/link]
To me, the bird in my photo looks similar to one at the bottom of [link=http://10000birds.com/dusky-moorhen.htm]this[/link] website, which the author claims is a juvenile Dusky Moorhen.
Dusky Moorhen over a Purple Swamphen. The bill in a Purple Swamphen would be more larger than here, and the bird bigger and bulkier. Whereas this looks very much like a Dusky Moorhen.