Porphyrio martinica
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) is a species of swamphen found in the Americas. It is in the order Gruiformes, meaning "crane-like", an order which also contains cranes, rails, and crakes. The purple gallinule is a rail species, placing it into the family Rallidae. It is also known locally as the yellow-legged gallinule. The specific name martinica denotes "of Martinique".
The purple gallinule is a medium-sized rail, measuring 26–37 cm (10–15 in) in length, spanning 50–61 cm (20–24 in) across the wings and weighing 141–305 g (5.0–10.8 oz). Males, averaging 257 g (9.1 oz) in mass, are slightly larger than females, at 215 g (7.6 oz) on average. An adult purple gallinule has purple-blue plumage that will shine green and turquoise when in good lighting. Adults also have a pale blue shield on their forehead, which connects with the red and yellow bill. Darkness or low light can dim the bright purple-blue plumage of the adult to make them look dusky or brownish, although the forehead shield color differentiates them from similar species such as common gallinules. Immature purple gallinules are a brown-bronze color, with purple feathers on chest, and the bill and... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Recife | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 6 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 8 | Maracaibo | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 9 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | João Pessoa | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque das Aves | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Mangal das Garças | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Parque Zoológico Miguel Ángel de Quevedo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Parque Zoobotânico Orquidário Municipal de Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Parque museo La Venta | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Wiwa Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an American Purple Gallinule sighting in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 203rd most-seen of the 329 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Purple Gallinule in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–April, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Purple Gallinule sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
25th of 47
Of the 47 parks where we can rate American Purple Gallinule sightings, Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge ranks 25th at under 5%. The best odds are in Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%), Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 40%) and Biotopo Cerro Cahuí (Guatemala, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the American Purple Gallinule that you can see in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are Gray-cowled Wood-Rail (about 10%) and White-throated Crake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Purple Gallinule is recorded against all the birds logged in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (59 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
