American Purple Gallinule
American Purple GallinuleAmerican Purple GallinuleAmerican Purple GallinuleAmerican Purple Gallinule

American Purple Gallinule

Porphyrio martinica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Saguaro National Park
29 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
15,244 Verified sightings across all 72 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the American Purple Gallinule

The purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) is a species of swamphen found in the Americas. It is in the order Gruiformes, meaning "crane-like", an order which also contains cranes, rails, and crakes. The purple gallinule is a rail species, placing it into the family Rallidae. It is also known locally as the yellow-legged gallinule. The specific name martinica denotes "of Martinique".

The purple gallinule is a medium-sized rail, measuring 26–37 cm (10–15 in) in length, spanning 50–61 cm (20–24 in) across the wings and weighing 141–305 g (5.0–10.8 oz). Males, averaging 257 g (9.1 oz) in mass, are slightly larger than females, at 215 g (7.6 oz) on average. An adult purple gallinule has purple-blue plumage that will shine green and turquoise when in good lighting. Adults also have a pale blue shield on their forehead, which connects with the red and yellow bill. Darkness or low light can dim the bright purple-blue plumage of the adult to make them look dusky or brownish, although the forehead shield color differentiates them from similar species such as common gallinules. Immature purple gallinules are a brown-bronze color, with purple feathers on chest, and the bill and... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

American Coot
LC

American Coot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fulica americana

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Sora
LC

Sora

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Porzana carolina

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Virginia Rail
LC

Virginia Rail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rallus limicola

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Sandhill Crane
LC

Sandhill Crane

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Grus canadensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~50%
2 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
3 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
4 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
5 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
6 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
7 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
8 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
9 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~20%
10 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
11 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
12 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~10%
13 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
14 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
15 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
16 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
17 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
18 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
19 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
20 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
21 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~10%
22 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
25 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
<5%
27 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
28 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
29 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
30 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
31 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
32 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
33 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
34 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
35 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
36 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
37 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
38 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
39 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
40 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
41 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
42 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
43 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
44 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
45 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
46 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
47 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
48 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
49 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
50 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
51 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
52 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
53 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
54 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
55 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
56 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
57 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
58 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
59 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
60 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
61 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
62 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
63 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
64 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
65 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
66 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
67 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
68 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
69 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
70 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
71 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
72 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Purple Gallinule in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a American Purple Gallinule sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Purple Gallinule in Saguaro National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for American Purple Gallinule in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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