Allen's Gallinule
Porphyrio alleni
The Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) is a rare rails, gallinules, and coot found in 43 countries, weighing about 139 g. Allen's gallinule, formerly known as the lesser gallinule, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae.
About the Allen's Gallinule
Allen's gallinule, formerly known as the lesser gallinule, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
They are similar in size to the only slightly larger water rail. The Allen's gallinule has a short red bill, greenish back and purple upperparts. They have red legs with long toes, and a short tail which is white with a dark central bar underneath. Breeding males have a blue frontal shield, which is green in the female. Immature Allen's gallinules are sandy brown with a buff undertail. The downy chicks are black, as with all rails. They nod their heads as they swim.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Portugal, South Sudan, France, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Türkiye, Greece.
When to see it
The Allen's Gallinule can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Allen's Gallinule?
- They are similar in size to the only slightly larger water rail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Allen's Gallinule?
- The Allen's Gallinule is a medium sized bird weighing about 139 g.
- Where can you see an Allen's Gallinule?
- The Allen's Gallinule occurs in 43 countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and Zambia.
- What birds look similar to an Allen's Gallinule?
- The Allen's Gallinule is most easily confused with the South Island Takahe, the Azure Gallinule and the Purple Gallinule.
- Is the Allen's Gallinule endangered?
- The Allen's Gallinule is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Allen's Gallinule for real
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