gallinule

Wading rail relative

A gallinule is a marsh bird related to coots and rails, typically having dark plumage with bright patches on the bill and forehead.

These chicken-sized waterbirds have long toes that allow them to walk across floating vegetation, and they bob their heads distinctively while swimming.

The common gallinule and purple gallinule are the species most familiar to North American birders.

We spotted a gallinule picking its way across the lily pads.

bird

moorhen

Small aquatic rail bird

  • cootLobed-foot marsh bird
  • railHorizontal support bar
  • crakeSmall secretive marsh bird

swamphen · wader · ornithology · avian · birdwatching · nesting · foraging · fledgling · roost · species

wetland

marsh

Grassy waterlogged lowland

  • reedbedWetland grass thicket
  • swampWaterlogged land with vegetation
  • bogAcidic peat wetland

fen · cattail · sedge · papyrus · wetland · mangrove · bayou · slough · freshwater · pond

plumage

iridescence

Color shift from interference

  • purpleHue between crimson and azure
  • bluePrimary color; also sad
  • greenColor of vegetation

red · yellow · coverts · molting · breeding · coloration · pattern · feathers · preen · down

locomotion

swimming

Locomotion through water

  • wadingTraversing shallow water on foot
  • paddleFlat-bladed water tool
  • divingEntering water deliberately

foraging · bobbing · floating · dabbling

Opposites
aquatic bird type

gallinuleduck

Waterbird that quacks

swan · goose · diving duck · sea duck · merganser

habitat preference

gallinuleroadrunner

Fast terrestrial cuckoo

albatross · penguin · sandgrouse · bustard · raptor

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G