How to identify it
Slaty body with a browner back and a white stripe along the side. [1][2]
Thick bill and frontal shield usually red and yellow (sometimes all yellow or brownish). [1][2]
Immature is paler gray with dull bill and legs but still shows the white side stripe. [1][2]
Compared with the american coot: Often found together; the gallinule shows a white side stripe and red-and-yellow bill shield and keeps closer to dense marsh cover. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- American coot · Fulica americana
- Purple gallinule · Porphyrio martinicus
Where it lives
Fresh marshes and reedy ponds with still or slow water, some open water and dense cover along the margins. [1][2]
How it behaves
Swims buoyantly, bobbing its head; also walks on open ground and clambers through reeds and cattails [1][2]
Feeds on water-plant leaves, stems and seeds plus insects, snails and tadpoles; may up-end or dive [1][2]
Gives squawking and croaking notes similar to the American coot [1][2]
Northern populations migrate (probably at night), arriving in April and leaving by October; southern populations are largely resident [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Conservation and protection
- ENDANGERED — Hawaiian common gallinule (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis): listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1967-03-11. · ECOS species profile: Hawaiian common gallinule
Where legal take is listed
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · King Rail, Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora and Gallinule Seasons 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (PDF)
- California — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 California Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Use of Department Lands Regulations
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Florida — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Florida Migratory Bird Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC)
- Georgia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Season Dates - Migratory Birds (WRD 1-page synopsis, linked from georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info)
- Kentucky — migratory bird hunting · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- Louisiana — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting Regulations (updated Aug 7, 2026)
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Mississippi — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Hunting Seasons (MDWFP PDF)
- Nevada — migratory bird hunting · Nevada 2026-2027 Small Game Hunting Regulations & Seasons (NDOW official guide, eRegulations-hosted)
- New Mexico — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- Ohio — migratory bird hunting · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- Oklahoma — migratory bird hunting · Crow, Woodcock, Rail, Snipe, Gallinule
- Pennsylvania — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Tennessee — migratory bird hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Rails, Gallinules and Moorhens: 2026-2027
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
- West Virginia — migratory bird hunting · West Virginia Migratory Game Bird Regulations Sept 2026-Jan 2027
- Wisconsin — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds from central California, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, southern Wisconsin, southern Ontario, New England and Nova Scotia south through Central and South America. In eastern North America it winters mainly from South Carolina and the Gulf Coast south.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALCommon Gallinule | Audubon Field Guide
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society
- BIOLOGICALGallinula galeata (NatureServe Explorer)
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe