About Porphyrio alleni Thomson, 1842
Allen's gallinule (Porphyrio alleni Thomson, 1842) is similar in size to the water rail, which is only slightly larger. This species has a short red bill, a greenish back, and purple upperparts. Its legs are red with long toes, and it has a short tail that is white with a dark central stripe on the underside. Breeding males have a blue frontal shield, while the female's frontal shield is green. Immature Allen's gallinules are sandy brown with a buff undertail. Like all rail species, downy young chicks of this species are black. Allen's gallinules nod their heads when they swim. Their breeding habitat consists of marshes and lakes located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Notably, while this bird appears to be a weak flier, it is the only species with a purely Sub-Saharan African range that has reached Great Britain, and it has done so on two separate occasions. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in several other European countries.
