Came across this fellow in the everglades. He’s a Purple Gallinule. It may sound like I knew his name upon sighting, but I really had no clue what he was, which is why I decided to write about him. I often take photos of creatures and places I know little about, but those photos inspire me to get to know my world a little better. So, here’s a little bit of info that I learned about this bird.

The Purple Gallinule is otherwise known as a Swamp Hen or known locally as a Yellow Legged Gallinule.

Purple Gallinules are members of the Rail family and found in tropical wetlands. Their long toes help them navigate the lily pads in their wetland environments.

I also found this great Checklist of Florida Birds while researching this water bird and decided to see how many I can spot.

Port St Lucie, the town I live in, is actually a bird sanctuary. So, there you go, great place for amateur birding to begin.