sora (Porzana carolina)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION

• Length: 6.75 inches Wingspan: 12.5 inches

• Fairly small, chunky, short-tailed, round-winged, ground-dwelling            marsh bird

• Short, thick bill

• Most often seen walking, rarely flies

• Often flicks and cocks short tail while walking, exposing white under-tail coverts

• Sexes similar

Adult:

• Yellow bill

• Black lores and throat (paler in basic plumage)

• Blue-gray face, sides of neck, and breast

• Brownish cap, nape, hindneck, back and upperwings

• Whitish belly

• Dark brown and white barring on flanks

Juvenile:

• Pale yellowish bill

• Buff-brown face, foreneck and breast; whitish throat

• Brownish cap, nape, hindneck, back and upperwings

• White spotting on back and upperwing coverts

• Flanks less distinctly barred with white and dark brown

Similar species:

Adult sora is distinctive with its short, thick yellowish bill, black face and
dark gray and brown plumage. Immature is similar to the yellow rail but
is larger, and has white undertail coverts and darker upperparts that are
spotted with white rather than streaked with buff and black. In flight, the
yellow rail shows white secondaries.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status:N/A
Breeding Habitat: Wetland-open water
Nest Location:N/A
Nest Type:N/A
Clutch Size: 6-18
Length of Incubation: 18-20 days
Days to Fledge: 21-25
Number of Broods: 2?
Diet: Mostly seeds and green plant matter; lesser quantities of insects
and aquatic invertebrates

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May Acc
      Su - Summer: June, July, August
      Fall: September, October, November

      Winter: December, January, February

 

 

Back to Inventory of Bird Families and Species