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ODNR Division of Wildlife - Fishing - Trout Stockings
ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Sora

 Sora

sora
Photo by Richard Day/Daybreak Imagery 		The sora is our most common rail, both in migration and as a breeder. The numbers of this small rail can be staggering in a good marsh during peak migration, but the casual observer would never know it. Their bodies are laterally compressed, which allows them to slip through dense marsh vegetation with ease.

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Sora
Porzana carolina

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 18-20 days

• Clutch Size: 6-18 eggs

• Young Fledge: 21-25 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: seeds, insects, and snails

• Ohio Status: Species of Concern 
Description
This rail is about the size of a quail with a short yellow bill, gray breast, and black face. The rest of the body is mottled brown.

Habitat and Habits
Soras inhabit freshwater marshes with tall stands of cattails and sedges. They are rather vocal, frequently delivering their somewhat plaintive, ascending ker-wee calls. When alarmed, they issue a sharp eek. Another oft-given call sounds a bit like a horse's whinny.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Nests are shallow baskets attached to marsh vegetation near the water's edge. Both parents incubate the eggs. The young are precocial.