Sora rail crake
The sora (Porzana carolina ) is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae, sometimes also referred to as the sora rail or sora crake. The genus name Porzana is derived from Venetian terms for small rails, and Carolina refers to the Carolina Colony. "Sora" is probably taken from a Native American language.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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Wading birdsWading birds forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand. These birds live in w...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Sora is a small waterbird, sometimes also referred to as the sora rail or sora crake. Adult birds have dark-marked brown upperparts, a blue-grey face and underparts, and black and white barring on the flanks. They have a short thick yellow bill, with black markings on the face at the base of the bill and on the throat. Males and females look similar, but young soras lack the black facial markings and have a whitish face and buff breast.
Soras occur throughout most of North America. They breed from Nova Scotia northwest to southern Yukon and Northwest Territories, south to California, Arizona, and New Mexico and northeast to Pennsylvania and New England. Soras are migratory and winter in the southern United States, the Caribbean, and northern South America. These birds inhabit wetlands, flooded wooded areas, and can also be found in cultivated areas such as rice fields, pastures, and flooded fields.
Soras are secretive birds spending their time hiding in dense vegetation. They are more often heard than seen, however, sometimes they can be seen walking near open water. These birds are territorial but outside of the breeding season they become gregarious and congregate in big numbers. Soras forage while walking or swimming picking prey items from the ground or water surface and will also probe with their bill in mud or among vegetation. These birds communicate with the help of various calls and become most vocal at dawn. Their common call is a slow whistled 'ker-whee', or a descending whinny.
Soras are omnivores and eat a wide range of foods. They feed on seeds, aquatic plants, snails, crustaceans, spiders, and insects including beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and dragonflies.
Soras are monogamous and form pairs. They breed from late April through early August and the peak of the nesting period typically occurs from May to early July. Females begin construction of saucer-shaped nests on the ground or on a platform over shallow water at the start of egg-laying. Clutch sizes typically range from 8 to 13 eggs, although clutch sizes of up to 16 have been reported. Both parents incubate the eggs and incubation lasts approximately 19 days. Nestlings are precocial and are capable of walking and swimming short distances by the end of their first day. At the age of 4 weeks, young soras fledge and become independent from their parents.
Despite being widespread and common, soras suffer from the loss of wetland habitat and they are also hunted in many parts of their range.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the sora total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are increasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...