[AlexC]

Discussion thread for Purple Gallinule. If you would like to add a comment, click the Post Reply button.

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Citation needed for South Georgia Gallinule subsection in "Taxonomy".

[njlarsen]

http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCHybridList.html

Niels

[AlexC]

Originally Posted by njlarsen

http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCHybridList.html

Niels

Thanks Niels - now SACC says it's a vagrant, but the Opus says an "aberrant" bird. Is that untrue?

[njlarsen]

I think the word aberrant is with regards to plumage (strange or faded museum specimen) and vagrant that it was a bird blown there from somewhere else, so I think both apply. I know I read about that somewhere else too, but I cannot remember where (maybe even wikipedia, even though they do not come up in a google search).

Niels

[AlexC]

Originally Posted by njlarsen

I think the word aberrant is with regards to plumage (strange or faded museum specimen) and vagrant that it was a bird blown there from somewhere else, so I think both apply. I know I read about that somewhere else too, but I cannot remember where (maybe even wikipedia, even though they do not come up in a google search).

Niels

Yeah, no I'm aware of what aberrant means, I just was uncertain if there was truth to that, as it's not mentioned on that SACC page.

[njlarsen]

I just discovered that Birdlife international calls this species Yellow-legged Gallinule, so I edited accordingly and added a redirect.

I still cannot remember where I read about the South Georgia Gallinule, but if a bird is described as a separate species, then it makes sence that it must have shown some characters different from regular Purple Gallinule, be they due to a truly aberrant individual or to fading while in a museum.

Niels