Medium-sized marsh bird with long yellow legs. Adults are an brilliant purple with a bright red-and-yellow bill.
Juveniles are pale brown with tints of bronze-green on the wings and back. Note white undertail coverts and long toes.
Despite having incredibly long toes that help distribute their weight as they walk on floating vegetation, these birds also manage to cling to plant stems and fairly often move through marshes this way.
Immature birds are bronze above with purple feathers coming in on the chest. The bill and forehead shield are pale.
Flies with legs hanging down when going short distances. Note iridescent bronze, green, and blue back and red-and-yellow bill.
Adults have a blue shield on the forehead and a bright red-and-yellow bill. In good light their backs shine with green and turquoise colors. Can swim like a duck and walk on vegetation.
Their long toes help them grab onto stems of marsh plants and walk on top of floating vegetation.
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A chicken-sized rail with a heavy conical bill, short tail (often cocked), a compact body, and very long legs and toes.
Slightly smaller than an American Coot, larger than a Sora.
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