Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule 

(Porphyrio porphyrio), a bird of the family Rallidae of the order Gruiformes. The body is approximately 45 cm in length. The toes are long. There is a bare frontal shield on the forehead, and the bill and legs are red. The plumage is turquoise and green, with purple.

The purple gallinule is distributed in southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and western Polynesia. In the USSR it is found in eastern Dagestan and Azerbaijan and in southeastern Turkmenia; it was formerly found along the lower reaches of the Volga and Ural rivers. The purple gallinule is nonmigratory; it inhabits the shores of reed-grown bodies of water, both saline and freshwater. Many individuals perish in winter during hard freezes. The nest is placed on a floating mass of reeds; a clutch contains five to seven eggs. The diet consists of plant matter, such as shoots and seeds. In the USSR the purple gallinule enjoys complete protection from hunting. It has been included in the Red Data Book of the USSR.