{"id":8339,"date":"2026-09-03T16:42:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T16:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8339"},"modified":"2026-09-03T16:42:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T16:42:41","slug":"elusive-young-bird-rarely-seen-in-california-pops-out-from-the-reeds-for-a-short-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8339","title":{"rendered":"Elusive young bird, rarely seen in California, pops out from the reeds for a short show"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><div><p>A crowd stood single file Tuesday morning, cameras and binoculars in hand, poised to see a visitor with lanky legs, long toes, and a horrible sense of direction.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8328\">Suspect sought in San Leandro vehicle vandalisms arrested<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The internet has been aflutter since a juvenile purple gallinule was spotted Aug. 13 at the Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh, settling in among the reedy waters of Pond C.<\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of bird enthusiasts have been flocking to Irvine in recent weeks, hoping to see the bird in its unusual habitat.<\/p>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Bird aficionados get a view of the juvenile purple gallinule...\" class=\"wp-image-8330\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4daac69c83c56ef880b4262b1422a369-1024x570.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4daac69c83c56ef880b4262b1422a369-1024x570.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4daac69c83c56ef880b4262b1422a369-300x167.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4daac69c83c56ef880b4262b1422a369-768x428.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4daac69c83c56ef880b4262b1422a369-1536x856.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4daac69c83c56ef880b4262b1422a369.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Bird aficionados get a view of the juvenile purple gallinule at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, a rare sight in California. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8331\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64-765x1024.webp\" width=\"765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64-765x1024.webp 765w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64-224x300.webp 224w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64-768x1029.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64-1147x1536.webp 1147w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64-1529x2048.webp 1529w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/80be4f4081f55c3a91a681dc00e7bf64.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, along with a duck that tries to share the spotlight. The gallinule was spotted two weeks ago, attracting hundreds of spectators hoping to see and photograph it. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8332\" height=\"774\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f220ed5d3851bd746b30e6016e9fee4c-1024x774.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f220ed5d3851bd746b30e6016e9fee4c-1024x774.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f220ed5d3851bd746b30e6016e9fee4c-300x227.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f220ed5d3851bd746b30e6016e9fee4c-768x581.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f220ed5d3851bd746b30e6016e9fee4c-1536x1161.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f220ed5d3851bd746b30e6016e9fee4c.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Since the bird was spotted two weeks ago, hundreds of spectators have visited the marsh to see and photograph it. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8333\" height=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/96914d3a3e7ecd118bf3a8523840ffb8-1024x597.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/96914d3a3e7ecd118bf3a8523840ffb8-1024x597.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/96914d3a3e7ecd118bf3a8523840ffb8-300x175.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/96914d3a3e7ecd118bf3a8523840ffb8-768x448.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/96914d3a3e7ecd118bf3a8523840ffb8-1536x896.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/96914d3a3e7ecd118bf3a8523840ffb8.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Since the bird was spotted two weeks ago, hundreds of spectators have visited the marsh to see and photograph it. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8334\" height=\"717\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7ab5d4431bd4cf96d611ad6e2e5d3d1d-1024x717.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7ab5d4431bd4cf96d611ad6e2e5d3d1d-1024x717.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7ab5d4431bd4cf96d611ad6e2e5d3d1d-300x210.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7ab5d4431bd4cf96d611ad6e2e5d3d1d-768x538.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7ab5d4431bd4cf96d611ad6e2e5d3d1d-1536x1075.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/7ab5d4431bd4cf96d611ad6e2e5d3d1d.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Since the bird was spotted two weeks ago, hundreds of spectators have visited the marsh to see and photograph it. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Aranna Martinez and Adam Morales came from L.A., spending two...\" class=\"wp-image-8335\" height=\"717\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6390a0c7af8d5c0ee4c17cd49603d72a-1024x717.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6390a0c7af8d5c0ee4c17cd49603d72a-1024x717.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6390a0c7af8d5c0ee4c17cd49603d72a-300x210.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6390a0c7af8d5c0ee4c17cd49603d72a-768x538.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6390a0c7af8d5c0ee4c17cd49603d72a-1536x1075.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6390a0c7af8d5c0ee4c17cd49603d72a.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Aranna Martinez and Adam Morales came from L.A., spending two hours in morning traffic to see the purple gallinule on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. It made a fleeting appearance, but Morales had enough time to capture the moment on his camera. The picture will go on his wall, he said. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8336\" height=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/259ffcac6ea1d0d0a607a1b9c103af81-1024x742.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/259ffcac6ea1d0d0a607a1b9c103af81-1024x742.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/259ffcac6ea1d0d0a607a1b9c103af81-300x217.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/259ffcac6ea1d0d0a607a1b9c103af81-768x556.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/259ffcac6ea1d0d0a607a1b9c103af81-1536x1112.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/259ffcac6ea1d0d0a607a1b9c103af81.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Since the bird was spotted two weeks ago, hundreds of spectators have visited the marsh to see and photograph it. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8337\" height=\"716\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/0bd8c913f1bfae1447ec370f7df93a15-1024x716.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/0bd8c913f1bfae1447ec370f7df93a15-1024x716.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/0bd8c913f1bfae1447ec370f7df93a15-300x210.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/0bd8c913f1bfae1447ec370f7df93a15-768x537.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/0bd8c913f1bfae1447ec370f7df93a15-1536x1074.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/0bd8c913f1bfae1447ec370f7df93a15.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Since the bird was spotted two weeks ago, hundreds of spectators have visited the marsh to see and photograph it. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at...\" class=\"wp-image-8338\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/465189151ec25299eaface25680a48c6-1024x636.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/465189151ec25299eaface25680a48c6-1024x636.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/465189151ec25299eaface25680a48c6-300x186.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/465189151ec25299eaface25680a48c6-768x477.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/465189151ec25299eaface25680a48c6-1536x955.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/465189151ec25299eaface25680a48c6.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A juvenile purple gallinule makes a rare California appearance at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. A group of morning bird watchers got more than a glimpse of the elusive bird as it spread its wings and showed off its colorful feathers before crawling back into the reedy marsh on\nTuesday, September 1, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><button>Show Caption<\/button><div><span>1<\/span> of <span>9<\/span><\/div><div>Bird aficionados get a view of the juvenile purple gallinule at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, a rare sight in California. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThey are most reliably found year-round in southern Florida and along the Gulf Coast,\u201d IRWD Natural Resources Manager Ian Swift said, adding the species is rarely seen outside its southeastern and tropical habitats.<\/p>\n<p>This is the first time the bird, which prefers to be alone, has been spotted in Orange County, and only the eighth time in California, water district officials said.<\/p>\n<p>Based on\u00a0its\u00a0muted coloring, the bird, whose\u00a0gender has yet to be determined, was\u00a0probably born this\u00a0spring, Swift said.<\/p>\n<p>Based on limited data from the California Bird Records Committee, Swift said gallinules are more likely to be found outside their natural habitats during strong El Ni\u00f1o years, which forecasters are seeing this winter.<\/p>\n<p>During the 1997-98 El Ni\u00f1o, a purple gallinule set up camp in Death Valley for three months starting in September. The birds have also been found as far north as Iceland.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cHopefully, it will move on to its normal home in the tropical parts of North and South America,\u201d Swift said.<\/p>\n<p>The Irvine sighting has created a lot of fanfare, partly because the bird is so accessible from the marsh parking lot. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get to the marsh, and it\u2019s not a very far walk for the average person to see a bird they\u00a0normally wouldn\u2019t,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Social media has chirped with photos and comments from birders, some of whom see this as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.<\/p>\n<p>One commenter wrote on the Monrovia Bird Haven Facebook page: \u201cWorth 100-mile round trip for lifer on my birthday! I set out for Pond C, and there it was!\u201d<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8326\">Buying binge for San Jose apartments grows with $300 million-plus deal<\/a><\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The 300-acre San Joaquin Marsh is a natural water-treatment facility, turned refuge, built in the 1990s to clean urban runoff and protect the environment in Upper Newport Bay and the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Swift said 330 species of birds have been spotted at the marsh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve definitely had some rarities, but they tend to be small and fast, hiding in the trees and canopies, and in a day or two they are gone,\u201d Swift said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re more likely to see this bird, even without binoculars,\u201d he added, because the purple gallinule is relatively big and forages on the ground and in the marsh for insects, fruits, and plants.<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally they eat \u201cthe eggs and young of other birds,\u201d according to the Audubon website.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen and Gloria Wu of Tustin heard about the marsh\u2019s new resident\u00a0from a friend in Santa Clarita. The retired couple grabbed their long-lens cameras and headed out\u00a0Monday. They had previously seen an adult\u00a0gallinule on the East Coast.<\/p>\n<p>When fully mature in its approximate 6-year lifespan, the bird\u2019s\u00a0plumage\u00a0becomes an intriguing, eye-pleasing mixture of metallic blues, reds, greens and purples.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one of the prettiest\u00a0birds in North America, in my opinion,\u201d Gloria Wu said.<\/p>\n<p>But with no success on Monday, she and her husband went back early the next day. Their diligence paid off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere it is, there it is,\u201d a spectator lining the marsh exclaimed. Surrounded by ducks that seemed to want to steal the show, the elusive youngster hopped gingerly onto a rock, unfurled its wings, and exposed plumes of bluish-purple feathers that sparkled in the sun.<\/p>\n<p>San Joaquin Marsh is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk daily. To protect the plants and animals in the sanctuary, bikes and dogs are not allowed.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8324\">Nvidia acquires AI platform Hugging Face for $13 billion<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Find more information at IRWD.com\/marsh.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The purple gallinule has been delighting birders at Irvine Ranch Water District\u2019s San Joaquin Marsh wildlife sanctuary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Elusive young bird, rarely seen in California, pops out from the reeds for a short show - 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