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Sora

Sora

Porzana carolina

Identify the Sora by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Sora is a small, secretive rail of North American marshes, far more often heard than seen. It winters in the southern United States, the Caribbean and northern South America. Adults have a short, thick yellow bill, a black face and throat, a blue-grey breast and barred flanks. Its descending, whinnying call is a classic sound of North American wetlands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe.

Did you know?

  • Its descending “whinny” is a territorial call and the best way to detect it.
  • In Europe it can be mistaken for a Spotted Crake.

Voice

Song
Call
Alarm call

About the species

Identification

A small, plump rail with a short, thick yellow bill. Adults have a black face and throat patch, a blue-grey breast, a brown, white-streaked back and barred flanks; the undertail is white. Young birds are browner and lack the black face. It resembles Spotted Crake but lacks the white spotting on the neck and breast.

Family

Rallidae

Size

Medium (thrush)

Colours

brown, grey, black, yellow, white

About the habitat

Shallow freshwater marshes and the edges of ponds and lakes with dense emergent vegetation; on migration and in winter also brackish marshes.

Diet

Omnivorous: seeds of marsh plants and small invertebrates such as insects and snails, picked while walking or swimming among vegetation.

Behaviour

Shy and skulking, it keeps to dense cover but may step out to feed at the water's edge. It gives a loud, descending whinny and a rising “ker-wee”. It migrates to warmer regions, flying at night.

Sources

Photo: Elaine R. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, CC BY-SA 2.5 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sora (Porzana carolina).jpg

Sound: Bjørn Olav Tveit, XC376087, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/376087

Sound: Jonathon Jongsma, XC102973, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://xeno-canto.org/102973

Sound: Jonathon Jongsma, XC111153, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://xeno-canto.org/111153

Text: Wikipedia (English), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sora_(bird)

See also