Sora - Porzana carolina

Birders who visit fresh water marshes will often hear the strange descending whinny call of the Sora, a small secretive rail that is usually tough to spot. An adult and a juvenile Sora were reported recently at Ellis Creek, Petaluma, at a location where they could be easily found and observed. The adult gave a loud whistled call as it foraged on the west side of pond "D".

Check out those large toes!

First shot shows the large toes typical of many marsh denizens. The yellow bill, is distinctive for the adult Sora. In this case the yellow bill is a bit dusky, which along with the minimal black in the face near the bill suggests it may be a female.

 Second shot gives a better look at the bill, as well as the pretty brown eye. Note the cocked-up tail, a frequent posture. You can just about see the white undertail coverts

Third shot shows it in the grass along the bank of the pond, where is foraged actively for seeds the entire time we watched. Often it was too close for me to frame a shot! By far our best ever look at this shy species.

The Sora is said to be our mostly common and widely distributed member of the rail family (around here I would bet on the Coot to win that distinction). They breed all across Canada in fresh water marshes that have cattails and other emergent vegetation. Most are migratory, despite their not being strong fliers. The genus Porzana has 14 species world-wide, with the other 13 sharing the common name "Crake".