Male (left) and female Gray-headed Swamphen
Purple Gallinules and “Purple” Swamphens, since 2015 renamed Gray-headed Swamphens, have been a source of confusion for many Florida birders in the last 15 years or so ever since the Swamphens first began proliferating in many popular wetlands birding locations. While there are certainly superficial similarities between the two species they are easily distinguishable at closer inspection. With Swamphens now seeming to outnumber Gallinules in some locations where both species share the same habitat it may be time to spell out the differences.
Purple Gallinules have very distinct red bills with a bright yellow tip (photo 2) and it is the only marsh inhabiting species with a bright blue forehead shield (photo 3). In addition, Purple Gallinules have unmistakable bright yellow legs, while Gray-headed Swamphens have reddish legs.
Finally, Swamphens are noticeably larger and chunkier than the more elegant and svelte Gallinules. As a birding friend of mine once described the difference between Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks with a Shakespearean era metaphor, “Red-tail Hawks are country folk while Red-shouldered Hawks are gentry,” the former description applies to Swamphens, while the latter to Gallinules. In flight Purple Gallinules (photo 4) are noticeably smaller the Gray-headed Swamphens (photo 7).
I remember traveling from our Bucks County, PA, home to Wilmington, DE, in December 1990 to see the first ever reported Purple Swamphen in the United States. How and why that bird, spotted in a residential neighborhood in Delaware, arrived there was never determined, but some birders speculated that it may have been ship-assisted on a naval vessel from somewhere in the Persian Gulf where the Gulf War was in full progress. Needless to say, the sighting created quite a stir at the time.
The Florida population of Swamphens, first discovered in Pembroke Pines, halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, in December 1996 is believed to have originated from birds that escaped from nearby aviculturists who had a number of Purple Swamphens which were allowed to roam freely. The aviculturists had both the Gray-headed and Blue-headed versions of the birds which represent potentially separate subspecies of the Swamphens from separate areas of the world. However, DNA sampling of a number of the birds indicates the birds all originated from the same subspecies which only ranges from Turkey to Thailand, and that the birds with gray heads are males, while the birds with blue heads are females, (photo 1 at top of page) rather than representative of different subspecies from different populations in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, the gray Swamphens (photo 5) and the blue Swamphens (photo 6) sure do look different enough that it would be easy to conclude they were indeed from different subspecies. Ongoing analysis and research continues on this subject, so the conclusion could yet change.
In October 2006 two Florida agencies undertook an eradication program to eliminate the Purple Swamphens, and over the next 27 months over 3,000 Swamphens were killed. There seems to be little evidence that the illegal immigrant Swamphens are actually a threat to native card-carrying American birds. It appears that tax dollars are probably better spent trying to depose and eliminate the more insidious and sinister illegal immigrant Burmese Pythons.
The best way for birders to distinguish between all the different white herons and egrets, such as Great, Snowy, Cattle, immature Little Blue and White Ibis is to compare the parts of the bird that are not white, such as the legs, feet and bills. The same applies to distinguishing between Purple Gallinules and Gray-headed Swamphens: Purple Gallinules - bright yellow legs and feet, delicate two toned bills, red with a yellow tip and a blue forehead shield; Gray-headed Swamphens - bright red legs and feet and large all red bill and forehead shield. Besides that, the Swamphens are, as the reference article below notes: “Purple Gallinules on steroids.”
Unquestionably the Gray-headed Swamphens are a very interesting addition to the avifauna of Florida. Just as northern Snowbirds flock to Florida for the warmth and sunshine, many avian species find Florida just as enticing and exciting. And like many Snowbirds, immigrant birds end up staying for the long haul and become permanent residents.
If you think about it, every one of us is either an immigrant or descended from an immigrant originally and we are all better off. Still, it would be nice if we could keep out those immigrant viruses that cause us to hole up in our homes on our couches watching television instead of getting out birding. I have often said, “You can’t find birds from your living room couch.” Covid! Be gone!
For a comprehensive history of Gray-headed Swamphens in the United States, see: www.aba.org/birding_archive_files/birding453pranty.pdf
