Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A genus of Rallidæ, representing a subfamily Porphyrioninæ; the porphyries, sultans, hyacinths, or hyacinthine gallinules.
  • noun [1. c.] A bird of this genus; a sultan; a purple gallinule.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun Old World purple gallinules

Etymologies

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Examples

  • (Leviticus 11: 18; 14: 16) where it occurs in the list of unclean birds Rut either of the renderings "porphyrio" (purple water-hen) and "ibis" is more probable.

    Smith's Bible Dictionary 1884

  • Important breeding wetland species include marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris (VU,35), white-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala (EN,400, which nest mainly in artificial ponds in surrounding areas), white-eyed pochard Aythya niroca (VU), purple gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio and crested coot Fulica cristata.

    Doñana National Park, Spain 2008

  • Species range from the large and colorful purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) to several majestic egret species.

    Tenasserim-South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests 2008

  • A nearby Roman mosaic depicts a purple gallinule porphyrio porphyrio, which bred in the reed beds until a decade ago.

    Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia 2008

  • It is also nationally important for breeding African spoonbills (Platalea alba) and purple swamp-hens (Porphyrio porphyrio).

    Inner Niger Delta flooded savanna 2008

  • Some few have neither a crop nor a dilated oesophagus, but the latter is exceedingly long, as in long necked birds, such as the porphyrio, and, by the way, in the case of all these birds the excrement is unusually moist.

    The History of Animals 2002

  • Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) and Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana).

    The Jakarta Post Breaking News 2010

  • Akyatan Lake, Agyatan Lake and Yumurtalik Lagoon all belong to the same system and support important species such as Marmaronetta angustirostris, black francolin (Francolinus francolinus), purple gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio), stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), spur-winged plover (Hoplopterus spinosus), little tern (Sterna albifrons) and a high number of waterfowl.

    Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests 2008

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