First Record of African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis, Latham, 1801) in Libya

The Libyan coastline contains various wetlands, including salt marshes, bays, coastal lagoons, and islands. All of these habitats attract birds, especially during their migratory season. Several bird species are migratory, and many of these cross international boundaries, though the exact routes and staging areas are not completely known for all species. When a migratory bird species is discovered for the first time in a country, this can be due to either natural migration (vagrant or otherwise) or escape from the pet trade. In November 2024, an African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis was hunted by a local hunter in Umm-Hafin wetland, one of the important wetlands in the Gulf of Bomba, about 50 km east of the city of Derna. This is the first record of this species in Libya, and the individual was unfortunately found dead, along with several ducks that had also been hunted. Such illegal killings often included non-target species and can even include endangered species, requiring stronger local and national action to prevent such poaching.