Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni)
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Allen's Gallinule

Porphyrio alleni Thomson, 1842

139 gWeight

Allen's gallinule (Porphyrio alleni), formerly known as the lesser gallinule, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae.

Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Allen's Gallinule has been recorded at 181 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 36 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nguuni Nature SanctuaryKenya136 records
  2. Dambwa LagoonsZambia74 records
  3. Muzi PanSouth Africa63 records
More places
  1. Ankarafantsika NPMadagascar62 records
  2. Lake Awassa – United Africa Shebelle Hotel areaEthiopia55 records
  3. PN des Oiseaux du DjoudjSenegal54 records
  4. Ankarafantsika NP – Lac RavelobeMadagascar45 records
  5. Kartong WetlandGambia44 records
  6. Nylsvley Nature ReserveSouth Africa43 records
  7. Parc Urbain Bangr-WeoogoBurkina Faso42 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaSouth AfricaBotswanaSenegalZambiaMadagascarUgandaEthiopia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

Allen's gallinule (Porphyrio alleni), formerly known as the lesser gallinule, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Allen's Gallinule?

The Allen's Gallinule weighs around 139 g.

Where does the Allen's Gallinule live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Botswana.

Is the Allen's Gallinule endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Allen's Gallinule as Least Concern.

What does the Allen's Gallinule eat?

Main food: Aquatic plants.

What family is the Allen's Gallinule in?

It belongs to the family Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae), order Gruiformes.

At a glance

Weight
139 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Aquatic plants
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
153 mm
Tail
64 mm
Bill
33 mm
Tarsus
49 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Rails, Crakes & Coots Rallidae
Genus
Porphyrio

Other birds in the genus Porphyrio

Purple GallinulePurple GallinulePorphyrio martinicaAzure GallinuleAzure GallinulePorphyrio flavirostrisWestern SwamphenWestern SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrioAfrican SwamphenAfrican SwamphenPorphyrio madagascariensisGrey-headed SwamphenGrey-headed SwamphenPorphyrio poliocephalusBlack-backed SwamphenBlack-backed SwamphenPorphyrio indicusPhilippine SwamphenPhilippine SwamphenPorphyrio pulverulentusAustralasian SwamphenAustralasian SwamphenPorphyrio melanotusSouth Island TakaheSouth Island TakahePorphyrio hochstetteriGrey-throated RailGrey-throated RailCanirallus oculeus
Allen's Gallinule

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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