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Fauna: Purple Gallinule Purple Gallinule Porphyrula martinica This striking bird is largely restricted to the states that border the Gulf of Mexico, though it can also be found in the coastal plains of Georgia and South Carolina. The species is migratory, and in winter the U.S. distribution is generally limited to southern Florida. Sometimes purple gallinules wander north, making it into the midwest and northeast; when this happens, it is usually big news in the local birding community. This species confines itself to aquatic environments, and the birds clamber about on floating vegetation, searching for insects, seeds, snails, and other food items. Photographed at Everglades National Park.