Common Gallinule, Gallinula galeata
Above, a bright red bill and forehead shield, plus the red at the top of the bare skin of the legs, mark this bird as in breeding plumage. Below, two more images, probably of the same bird, showing breeding plumage.
"Common Gallinule" is the colloquial American name adopted in 2011 for a newly recognized species, Gallinula galeata, formerly the New-World group of Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus. The Old-World group retained the original scientific and common names in the split. (G. chloropus is called simply "Moorhen" in Britain, now as before.) The two newly-separated species are distinguished mainly by their very different vocalizations. See the separate page for Common Moorhen, with photographs from the United Kingdom.
Above and the next two images below, photos also from Shoreline Park in Mountain View showing Common Gallinules in their non-breeding plumage with variably duller bill coloration.
The Common Gallinules found in Florida, one shown above, are in my experience more confiding and accessible than the relatively shy birds found in California. Note the bright breeding-season red of the bill and shield, in Florida already present in early December. The shield is broader on the Florida birds than on those in California, closer in width to the shield of a Common Moorhen.
 The endangered endemic Hawaiian subspecies shown above, ‘alae ‘ula in Hawaiian, Gallinula galeata sandvicensis in science-ese, and Hawaiian Gallinule in colloquial English, is notable for a very broad red shield on its forehead, and by the breeding-season red extending further down its legs. Maintaining its fragile hold on existence, it is a possible candidate for recognition as a separate species. For now, it is classified as a subspecies of the Western Hemisphere species Common Gallinule, sharing its distinctive vocalizations. This bird was photographed in 2008 at Hanalei NWR on Kauai, the best place to find Hawaiian Gallinules. |
A juvenile Common Gallinule from the SF Bay Area.