Purple Gallinule

The Purple Gallinule is one of the most strikingly colored marsh birds in the Americas, with a deep purple-blue head, neck, and underparts set against an olive-green back and wings. Its bright red bill is tipped in yellow, and a pale powder-blue frontal shield sits above it. Long, bright yellow legs and extraordinarily long toes let it walk atop floating vegetation such as lily pads without sinking.

The bird's iridescent plumage can shift from deep purple to blue-green depending on the angle of light, making it a favorite sighting for birders in the marshes of the southeastern United States and throughout the Neotropics.

Key field marks

• Rich purple-blue head, neck, and underparts
• Olive-green back and wings
• Red bill tipped in yellow
• Pale powder-blue frontal shield
• Long, bright yellow legs and very long toes
• White undertail coverts

Similar species

The Purple Swamphen is much larger, entirely blue-purple with no green on the back, and has a red (not pale blue) frontal shield. The Common Gallinule is dark slate-grey rather than purple.

Habitat

Favors freshwater marshes, swamps, and ponds with abundant floating vegetation like lily pads, which its long toes are adapted to walk across.

Range and migration

Found across the southeastern United States (especially Florida and the Gulf Coast), Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America. Northern populations are migratory, retreating from the U.S. in winter, and the species is also known for occasional long-distance vagrancy far outside its normal range.

Behavior

Walks easily across floating vegetation thanks to its long toes, which spread its weight over a wide area, and is also an agile climber in marsh plants.

Voice

Cackling and clucking calls given from cover.

Feeding

An omnivorous diet including seeds, fruit, aquatic plants, and small animals like insects and frogs.

Nesting and breeding

Builds a floating or emergent nest platform among dense marsh vegetation, with both parents sharing incubation duties.