Where to see the Allen's Gallinule in South Africa

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Allen's Gallinule at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Garden Route National Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

The Allen's Gallinule is most recorded in Western Cape (46% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (22% of records), Limpopo (12% of records), based on 82 iNaturalist observations. 48 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Allen's Gallinule on site or nearby.

The Allen's Gallinule is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Mapungubwe National Park: May-Sep, dry season; Tsitsikamma National Park: Apr-Sep; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

The Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Allen's gallinule (Porphyrio alleni), formerly known as the lesser gallinule, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. Its former binomial name is Porphyrula alleni. Porphyrio is the Latin for "swamphen", and alleni, like the English name, commemorates British naval officer Rear-Admiral William Allen (1792, 1864).