Adult Description
- Swims on surface of water like a duck and walks on floating plants rather like a chicken.
- Dark purple head, neck, and underside.
- Green back.
- Red bill tipped with yellow.
- Light blue forehead.
- Bill triangular like a chicken's, not flat like a duck's.
- Legs yellow.
Immature Description
Downy chick is black. Juvenile is buffy tan instead of purple, with greenish back, dull bill, dull blue frontal shield, and yellow legs.