Common Gallinule
Common Gallinule has risen sharply: up 72% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Common Gallinule
The Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) is a North American member of the Rails, Gallinules & Coots (Rallidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 6–19 in long (15–48 cm) — a marsh-dwelling waterbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 294 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 31 states, most concentrated in the Peninsular Florida.
- Family
- Rallidae · Wetland birds
Notable Common Gallinule TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Common Gallinule. See the full index history below.
Common Gallinule Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Common Gallinule is projected to rise about 44% by 2029 — from 0.08 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.12 (95% range 0.00–0.24). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±128.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Common Gallinule Is Detected
BBS routes recording Common Gallinule, sized by most recent count.
Common Gallinule Population Trend by State
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | +99% | 1977 | 11 |
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Arkansas | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| California | -82% | 1971 | 30 |
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Delaware | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Florida | -38% | 1968 | 83 |
| Georgia | -15% | 1976 | 19 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Kansas | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Kentucky | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Louisiana | +378% | 1971 | 36 |
| Maine | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Maryland | -27% | 1975 | 3 |
| Massachusetts | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Michigan | -86% | 1973 | 7 |
| Minnesota | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Mississippi | +207% | 1999 | 3 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New Jersey | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| New York | -49% | 1970 | 15 |
| North Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Ohio | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| South Carolina | +175% | 2002 | 5 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | +50% | 1969 | 40 |
| Utah | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Wisconsin | -61% | 1968 | 6 |
Common Gallinule Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Common Gallinule Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 72% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.