Sora
The Sora is a handsome and distinctive rail of freshwater marshes throughout most of North America. Abundant, widespread, and conspicuous relative to other North American rails, the Sora is still a rare sight, given its reluctance to take flight. Most often, it belies its presence amid the cattails and sedges with its loud whinnying call.

The species breeds in wetlands throughout most of North America, except for the southeastern and south-central United States, extreme northern Canada, and Alaska. Soras winter along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, and throughout Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands, south to northern South America. In both winter and summer ranges, Soras may also inhabit brackish or salt marshes and agricultural fields.
Sora Range Map

Soras eat mostly seeds of wetland vegetation, including wild and cultivated rice. They also eat aquatic invertebrates. They feed mostly while standing and walking, using their long toes to pull aside plants at the water’s surface. They also sometimes forage while swimming.

Soras nest among cattails, sedges, or less commonly, other emergent vegetation in shallow water. Nests are loose baskets, hanging from stems of marsh plants. The bottoms of some Sora nests may be below water. Most Sora nests also have a ramp leading to the opening; many nests are also concealed above with an arched canopy of neighboring plants, bent over and tucked into the other side of the nest.

Females generally lay 8 to 11 eggs per clutch. Both parents incubate. Eggs hatch after about 2.5 weeks. Starting a day or so after hatching, Sora chicks can preen themselves, and siblings often preen each other in the nest. Day-old Sora chicks can also walk and swim, though they generally remain in the nest until two to three days later. At this time, chicks begin to feed themselves, but continue to beg for food from their parents; after two to three weeks more, young Soras can feed themselves completely independently.

Description: Soras are small rails, measuring approximately 9 inches in length. Breeding adults are brown above, with some fine black and white markings. Bill is yellow, and appears as a narrow triangle in profile. Face and throat are black; during the nonbreeding season, face appears more grayish overall. Neck, throat, and chest are gray. Flanks are dark, with white barring. Undertail coverts are cream-colored. Legs are yellow-green. Juveniles lack the black face mask, and show buff coloration in place of gray on neck, throat, and chest.

Voice: A distinctive whinny, descending in pitch and slowing at the end, “wheeee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee.”


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