Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule

The Purple Gallinule [gallery] is a rail-like bird with beautiful purple-blue plumage with some green on its back, red and yellow beak, and a light blue patch above the beak.  It has bright yellow legs with very long toes to help it walk of floating leaves.  It looks much like a colorful Common Moorhen.  They are the must unusual looking birds to me, which is  I guess why I like them so much.

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinules can be found throughout the Gulf States of the U.S. and farther south into Brazil and Argentina, but they can be very hard to find.  They spend most of their time in aquatic plant life.  I typically notice them when they fly to a new location and walk among floating leaves without cover.  In Central Florida, I've seen them at Viera Wetlands, but Orlando Wetlands park is by far the best place I know of to see them.  I see at least one almost every time I go there in the summer time.

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule