Found in marshes, wetlands, and freshwater ponds from the southeastern United States down through Central and South America, it stands out immediately for its brilliant colors. Adults sport shimmering plumage that glows with iridescent shades of purple, turquoise, and green, paired with a bright red-and-yellow bill and long yellow legs. In the sunlight, their feathers gleam like polished metal, making them one of the most striking birds of their habitats. Despite their beauty, they are surprisingly well adapted to the challenges of marshy life.
With long toes that spread their weight across wide surfaces, these birds can literally walk on lily pads without sinking, giving them a graceful, almost magical appearance. They use this skill to forage for seeds, berries, insects, small fish, frogs, and even the tender parts of aquatic plants. Their diet is unusually varied, making them opportunistic feeders. Unlike ducks, they don’t dabble in open water as much as they pick and probe through the floating gardens of their marshland homes. Their ability to straddle plants, clamber through reeds, and even climb low shrubs with their oversized toes makes them some of the most versatile foragers in wetland ecosystems.
While many wetland birds are shy, gallinules are often seen fearlessly strutting across lily pads or along the edges of ponds, showing off their radiant plumage. They are also strong flyers for a marsh bird and have been recorded as long-distance wanderers, sometimes turning up far outside their normal range—in places as surprising as Canada, Europe, and even South Africa!
Distribution
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Brazil
British Virgin Is.
Canada
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Iceland
Jamaica
Martinique
Mexico
Montserrat
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre
Saint Vincent
St. Kitts & Nevis
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos
US Virgin Islands
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
VenezuelaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
