NOTES ON THE BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN SPOONBILL PLATALEA ALBA

Silbernagl, H. P. 1982. Seasonal and spatial distribution of the American Purple Gallinule in South Africa. Ostrich 53:236-240.

The American Purple Gallinule Porphyrula martinica has been recorded 21 times in the southwestern Cape Province of South Africa. Nearly all records fall in the period 22 April to 2 July and nearly all birds were juveniles. The majority of dated records for which weather data are available appear to be of birds starting their northward migration in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, or Uruguay and caught by strong westerly winds which carry them downwind to South Africa in about five days. Most birds arrive in South Africa in an exhausted condition and markedly below normal weight. Thus it is unlikely that the American Purple Gallinule will establish a breeding population in Africa.