There is something so lovely and graceful, yet vulnerable, about a juvenile Purple Gallinule. He is no longer a comical little ball of black fluff, toddling after his parents. But he is not yet a full-grown shimmering beauty like them either.
I came across this young fellow clambering around in a low tree, and had the pleasure of watching him at close range for quite a long time.
At this stage, he’s pretty much on his own, starting to navigate his surroundings independently, learning to climb and fly from branch to branch.
He shows off his emerging blue colors as he practices using his wings.
He looks charming and innocent as he preens himself and acts all grown up.
But he’s just barely an adolescent, and I can’t help but worry that he doesn’t know enough yet about the scary world out there. I hope he will stay safe from all potential dangers he might encounter.
At times, as I stood there taking many photos, he seemed to be watching me, as if to ask why I was so interested in watching him. I just couldn’t leave till I captured a few memories on my camera~
Birder's Journey 
A Lovely little blessing BJ , the blue is quite stunning when he shows it off.
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Thanks, AB! It’s always a delight to see the blue showing through – thinking about how beautifully iridescent bluish-purple he will be as an adult.
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gorgeous!!
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Thank you so much …. he really is handsome! Or is it, she really is beautiful!? Not quite sure đ
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Beautiful captures of this special bird! Thank you for sharing with us, Bj! đ
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Thank you for enjoying this special bird with me, Amy! It’s always nice to hear from you.
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Excellent photos Carol! I haven’t seen the Purple Gallinule in person yet! đ
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I’d never seen one either, HJ, until a few years ago. They are wonderful! Hope you get to see one someday soon.
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Beautiful post !!
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Thanks so much for your kind comment, Dave!
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Great captures of this youngster.
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This juvenile is truly a photogenic soul, and he made it so easy to take his picture!
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Lovely pictures! I love when the youngsters act so grown up đ
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I do too, Tiny. Sometimes they can be so amusing, as they haven’t quite learned the ropes yet. I’ve seen juvenile Purple Gallinules strolling right down the middle of the boardwalk in front of me.
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It’s plain to see that you enjoyed gallivanting after this gallinule. One thing I learned from seeing some gallinules in New Zealand is that these birds have large feet, something that’s evident in your next-to-last photograph.
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Yes, they certainly do have HUGE feet, which look even more awkward on the chicks and juveniles. I’m so used to seeing them that I didn’t even think to highlight that feature in any of these shots.
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This is such a beautiful capture, all of them. The young gallinule looks like it really has personality in your photos.
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I thought so too, Donna ;-). I’ve come to realize that we can truly sense the personalities of birds more and more as we become familiar with them.
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So beautiful!
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So glad you enjoyed this sweet young Purple Gallinule, Sukanya – thank you!
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Seems very beautiful to me, even knowing there is still some growing to come…
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I agree! He really is a beauty, and will become even more beautiful as an adult with his shimmering colors.
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I don’t think I have ever seen a juvenile gallinule this close up — I enjoyed your encounter, BJ. His wings are becoming so beautiful. đ
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Thanks, Jet. I feel so fortunate to have had this encounter. We are lucky to have many Purple Gallinules in our wetlands, and their favorite foods grow right near the boardwalks, so we see them close up a lot!
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Really striking pics – just gorgeous!
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Thanks for this, Pam!
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