Closeup of the Purple Gallinule on the Arcata Marsh on Nov. 26 | Photo: Rob Fowler
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The Arcata Marsh has lengthy been a favourite spot for fowl watchers, with a whole lot of species of birds making their home within the damp fields and ponds. Migratory birds have additionally been recognized to cease by the marsh for a go to, and our latest fowl traveler – a Purple Gallinule – made its first-ever recognized look in Humboldt final weekend.
“It’s unmistakably a Purple Gallinule, and the northernmost record for California,” Rob Fowler, a neighborhood fowl professional and birding information, stated in an e-mail to the Outpost. “And the first for Humboldt County.”
Generally discovered within the wetlands of South America, Central America and the southeastern United States, the Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) is a smallish fowl, distinguished by purple, blue and inexperienced feathers, a brilliant pink and yellow beak with a blue protect, and really lengthy legs and toes. Juveniles are a pale brown and don’t get their brightly coloured plumage till later in life, so the fowl noticed within the marsh is certainly an grownup, Fowler stated.
The Purple Gallinule on Nov. 26 | Photo: Laura Cutler
Though they have a tendency to hang around in hotter climates, Purple Gallinules are migratory birds and are very sturdy fliers, recognized to look far exterior of their regular vary. Observations posted on eBird present that they’ve been noticed in japanese Europe, Canada and have even appeared in Iceland a few occasions. There have additionally been recorded sightings in California, however beforehand solely in Southern California and the Bay Area. So, it’s fairly thrilling to catch a glimpse of the brightly coloured fowl in our personal yard.
Last we heard, our purple good friend was hanging out on Brackish Pond, the place its picture was captured by native wildlife photographer Laura Cutler at round 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. Fowler additionally caught an excellent closeup of the fowl on Sunday afternoon.
How lengthy the Purple Gallinule will stick round, it’s onerous to say. But Fowler did say that the fowl appears to be fairly completely happy the place it’s for now, so it’d resolve to remain put for some time.
“It does seem to be doing well at the location where it’s at here,” Fowler stated. “So who knows? Maybe it will winter!”
