# Purple Gallinule

Scientific name: 

Bird group: [rail](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/rail)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/104/Purple-Gallinule

## Distribution and habitat

The Purple Gallinule occurs from the United States through Central 
and South America including 
the West Indies (Raffaele and 
others 1998). In addition, it also 
occurs in The Bahamas but to a 
lesser extent (Raffaele and others 
1998). In Puerto Rico, it is an 
uncommon to rare resident in 
coastal wetlands (Oberle 2018, 
Raffaele 1989a) and can be seen 
regularly in the Humacao Natural 
Reserve, and Caño Tiburones 
Natural Reserve (Oberle 2018), 
but it can also be found at Las 
Cucharillas marsh in Cataño and 
the Boquerón Wildlife Refuge (PRDNER 2015). The species 
presence is unconfirmed on 
Vieques (Gemmill 2015). Habitat 
includes rice fields along with 
freshwater marshes, swamps, 
and ponds with emergent dense 
vegetation (Oberle 2018, Raffaele 
and others 1998). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 40 
records within 19 hexagons or 4 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 19 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 32 percent (6) of 
the hexagons and possible in 68 
percent (13) (see map). Purple Gallinule distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       95Purple Gallinule/Gallareta Azul

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the Purple Gallinule 
breeds primarily from July to 
September (Raffaele and others 
1998). The nest is usually built 
among cattails or rice grass 
(Raffaele and others 1998). Atlas 
results suggest that this species 
breeds throughout the year with 
the most breeding activity during 
March (see chart). Overall, the 
breeding activity mostly takes 
place in the lowlands within the 
subtropical moist forest life zone (84 percent of the hexagons) 
(see table and map). However, 
results indicate that it also breeds 
within the subtropical dry forest 
life zone (16 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The current population trend of the Purple Gallinule is 
described as decreasing. In 
North America, the population 
trend is decreasing (Butcher 
and Niven 2007), although 
populations are stable elsewhere (Wetlands International 2012). 
This species is currently listed 
as a species of least concern by 
the IUCN (BirdLife International 
2016). Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the 
Purple Gallinule has a protected 
habitat in land of 16 percent or 
71 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (454 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_104_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_104_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.