Sora: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Cranes and Marsh Birds · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Soras are heard far more often than seen. One of their calls is a whinny that slides down in pitch.
2. Play a sora's call in a marsh and one may come out to check who is there.
3. A sora nest usually holds 8 to 13 eggs, and up to 16 have been reported. Odd-looking eggs may be buried and left unwarmed.
4. Chicks can walk and swim a short way by the end of their first day. By about 4 weeks old they look after themselves.
5. Its menu changes with the seasons: about 40% plants in spring and summer, but 68 to 69% in fall and winter.

The quiz

1. How do people usually notice a sora?

• By its bright red feathers
• By hearing its call (correct)
• By its huge nest in a tree
• By its large flocks in the sky

Soras are more often heard than seen.

2. What does a sora often do when it hears a recording of its call?

• Flies far away
• Falls silent for a week
• Comes to investigate (correct)
• Builds a new nest

Soras will often investigate the source of a played call.

3. What may a sora do with an odd-looking egg?

• Bury it and not warm it (correct)
• Carry it to another nest
• Sit on it twice as long
• Paint it with mud

Soras may bury irregular eggs and refuse to incubate them.

4. What can sora chicks do by the end of their first day?

• Fly across the marsh
• Walk and swim a short way (correct)
• Find food alone for the winter
• Build their own nest

Chicks can walk and swim short distances by the end of day one.

5. When do soras eat the most plant food?

• Only in spring
• Only in summer
• Never, it eats only snails
• In fall and winter (correct)

Plants make up 68 to 69% of the diet in fall and winter, against 40% in spring and summer.

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