Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule
Photo credit: Jimmy Jackson
-Porphyrio martinica-

Known for its strikingly purplish-blue plumage, its bright red bill is tipped with yellow. Legs and long toes are bright yellow, frequently flies short distances with legs dangling. Found in swamps, lagoons and marshes. Present in Texas during May through August. Highly migratory, wintering mostly in central South America. Omnivorous diet includes seeds, fruit, leaves, snails, aquatic insects and frogs. With its huge feet and brilliant colors it is one of the most striking inhabitants of Texas coastal marshes.

Length: 13-inches
Wingspan: 22-inches
Weight: 9-ounces