I saw my first sora a few years ago in a wetlands exhibit at the Columbus Zoo. Since then, I've seen them in the wild a couple times in marshes in southwest Ohio. But Ellis Marsh has a bumper crop of babies this year. I must have seen 10.
Soras are tiny rails. Their cryptic camouflage helps them blend in, apart from that traffic-sign yellow bill.
Like most rails, soras have a loud, distinctive call. They peep and whinny, alerting others about potential threats. And they spook easily, making a quick dash to the safety of the reeds.
From what I could tell, the little rails were busy eating grass seed along the edge of the marsh.
What I found most endearing of these little birds was their habit of bobbing their little white tails. It might be a way for soras to keep tabs on each other when there is safety in numbers.
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A sora navigates a shallow creek at Visitor's Center Pond at Fernald.
Soras blend in with the cryptic background. Their biggest threats are from minks and birds of prey.
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