Storm Brings Rare Purple Gallinule to New Bedford

Storm winds were sweeping across Southern New England on Friday night, toppling trees and knocking out power to thousands. Amid all the storm destruction however, was the discovery of a rare bird breed on the SouthCoast.

Seems the storm winds also swept in a Purple Gallinule. The tropical bird was blown off course and discovered in a New Bedford backyard.

A call to the New England Wildlife Center got the exhausted and underweight bird the help it needed to survive, now experts are trying to figure out how to get it back home.

The Resilient Purple Gallinule

On December 19-20, 2025 storm winds were crossing the SouthCoast at near hurricane level speeds. While many local humans took cover, one Purple Gallinule was stuck out in it, presumably for days.

READ MORE: Here's How High the Wind Gusts Got Across the SouthCoast

This poor little guy was found attempting to hunker down on a backyard A/C unit and luckily got into the New England Wildlife Center's Cape hospital before it got pushed too much further North.

Purple Gallinule's typical live in tropical climates, like in Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. This one managed to ride out the storm (literally) until he reached our SouthCoast shores.

READ MORE: Little Compton Surprised By Rare Pink Flamingo Sighting

Surprisingly, the bird was doing pretty well for its incredibly long journey.

Rescue Efforts by New England Wildlife Center

After receiving X-rays and a full examination, rescue workers discovered their were no broken bones or other major injuries. The bird was primarily suffering from dehydration and insufficient food.

Caretakers have been working on rehydrating the tropical bird throughout the weekend and hope to reintroduce food to it soon. With proper care and close monitoring, hopefully this beautiful purple-blue bird will be ready for its natural climate again soon.

New England Wildlife Center plans to get him healthy, then partner with Mass Wildlife to determine how to ultimately get him back where he belongs.

Previous Sighting: Purple Gallinule in Eastham, 2010

Surprising as the Purple Gallinule sighting is, it is not the first time this tropical bird has shown up on the SouthCoast.

Back in 2010, similar storm winds brought another Purple Gallinule too far north. Though that bird was also found and monitored, there's no word on if it even made it back home after its discovery.