A Purple Gallinule, a very rare visitor to California, has been spotted at the San Gabriel River

A very rare visitor from the Gulf Coast, this Purple gallinule (Porphyrula martinica) has recently been spotted at the San Gabriel River south of Peck Road in South El Monte, photographed on Sunday, September 27, 2010. According to birding records, this Purple gallinule is only the fifth one spotted in California since tallies have been kept. The bird, first spotted by Norm Vargas of San Gabriel, is almost an adult. There was another younger bird of this same type spotted a few miles South of this location in Pico Rivera about two weeks ago.  (Raul Roa/Staff Photographer)