Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule

Porphyrio martinica

A beautifully colored bird of southern and tropical wetlands, the Purple Gallinule can be see walking on top of floating vegetation or clambering through dense shrubs. Its extremely long toes help it walk on lily pads without sinking.

Interesting Information

The Purple Gallinule is essentially a tropical marshbird that just makes its way into the United States. But some go even farther afield. The Purple Gallinule, despite appearing to be an awkward flier, regularly turns up in northern states and southen Canada. It has even been found numerous times in Europe and South Africa.

Description

Adult Description

Swims on surface of water like a duck and walks on floating plants rather like a chicken.
Dark purple head, neck, and underside.
Green back.
Red bill tipped with yellow.
Light blue forehead.
Bill triangular like a chicken's, not flat like a duck's.
Legs yellow.
Length
- 14.6 - 14.2 in; 37 - 36 cm
Wingspan
- 21.7 in; 55 cm
Weight
- 7.3 - 10.2 oz; 208 - 288 g

Immature

Downy chick is black. Juvenile is buffy tan instead of purple, with greenish back, dull bill, dull blue frontal shield, and yellow legs.

Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide by David Allen Sibley

Habitat

Freshwater marshes with dense stands of floating vegetation.

Behavior

Forages while walking along the shoreline, wading, and swimming.

Food

Seeds, flowers, fruits, grains, ans some invertebrates.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Rallidae
Genus:	Porphyrio
Species:	Porphyrio martinica

Similar Species

Common Moorhen lacks the purple and has a white stripe along its side. Juvenile moorhen has a white side stripe, is duskier overall, and lacks colorful wings and blue frontal shield.

Bird Sound

Cackling or clucking, and guttural notes.

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution

	Sources Used To Construct This Page
	West, R. L., and G. K. Hess. 2002. Purple Gallinule (Porphyrula martinica). In The Birds of North America, No. 626 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

	All photos and videos © Rick Swartzentrover - Free for non-profit use.