The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) is a species of swamphen (Porphyrio) occurring in eastern Indonesia), Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. The New Zealand bird, known as the pūkeko, some believe to be a subspecies of the purple swamphen.
Establishment in New Zealand
According to the Heather and Robertson Field Guide, the bird seems to have become established in New Zealand about 1000 years ago. According to Millener (1981), it invaded from Australia less than 1,000 years ago. It is also assumed to have spread from Australia to New Guinea. Some assume that it became established before humans in New Zealand, but all known fossil occur in sites younger than 400 years and there is no evidence that they were on the main islands of New Zealand before the Māori arrived. East Coast Māori say they came to New Zealand on the Horouta canoe which arrived about 24 generations ago. The Aotea tribe of the West Coast say that their ancestors introduced pūkeko in the Aotea canoe.
Sources: Wikipedia
