Bird of the Week: Sora

The Sora is a bird that is more often heard than seen. Its distinctive whinny can be heard in wetlands with dense marsh vegetation like cattails, rushes and sedges. This small, round, secretive marsh bird is grey and brown with a bright yellow bill and black mask and throat patch. Soras spend most of their time hidden from view but you may catch them wading through shallow wetlands with quick, chicken-like steps searching for marsh seeds or aquatic invertebrates. Soras have even been known to swim in deeper water, despite the lack of webbed feet.