Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus)

Abundance: Rare; 3 records in 2 Tennessee counties (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the populations formerly breeding and possibly still migrating through the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Summer Resident formerly; Transient more recently; sight records.

Regional High Count: 2 (30 July 1952; 17 km northeast of McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; Albert F. Ganier; Ganier 1952).

Information on Records: 

17 May 1936 (1) Near Morrison, Warren County, Tennessee (Albert F. Ganier; Ganier 1952).

30 July 1952 (pair—near empty nest) 17 km northeast of McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee (Albert F. Ganier; Ganier 1952). 

18 & 20 May 1990 (1—adult) Pond in southeast corner of the intersection of Rts. 111 and 70N, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman; Stedman 1993).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Breeding: Confirmed (Historical). No eggs or young were found by Ganier (1952) during his visit to Warren County, but he did find a structure that he identified as a used nest of this species, and two adult birds were present in the vicinity of the used nest.

Habitat: Marshes and ponds with emergent vegetation.

Remarks: 

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited