Secretive Marsh Birds - Sora

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I am in the process of constructing a collection of images that will be labelled SECRETIVE MARSH BIRDS. Ironically, all parts of the body except those that are submerged are exposed in my favorite shots of the very secretive Sora (Porzana carolina).

Click on each image to see a slightly larger version.

Sora - Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL) - October 2010
Nikon D300s, 500mm f/4 lens
1/640 sec at f/4, ISO 800

The Sora is a member of the Family Rallidae which also includes other rails, Gallinules and Coots. Sora primarily eat seeds for which their short, stubby yellow bill is well suited.

Sora - Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL) - October 2010
Nikon D300s, 500mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter
1/640 sec at f/8, ISO 400

I have learned some interesting things while reading about the rails and bitterns. For survey and conservation purposes rails and bitterns are among those listed as secretive marsh birds. In general, estimates of the numbers of marsh birds have been and continue to be declining. It is not surprising that the populations of many marsh birds have declined in North America. About half of the wetlands in the U.S. have been lost over the past 200 years. In Louisiana, about one-quarter of the state’s wetlands – an area the size of Delaware – have been lost since the 1930s.

Sora - Anahuac NWR (TX) - May 2011
Nikon D300, 500mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter
1/640 sec at f/4.5, ISO 250

Several descriptions of the plumage and behavior of Sora that I read described their habitat as emergent wetlands. “Emergent wetland means a wetland with at least thirty (30) percent of the surface area covered by erect, rooted, herbaceous vegetation extending above the water surface as the uppermost vegetative strata.” The herbaceous plants are hydrophytic or water-adapted. The vegetation is rooted below the water’s surface and either stands erect above the water (e.g., cattails) or grows at the surface (e.g., lily pads). Link

Sora - St. Marks NWR (FL) - November 2012
Nikon D300s, 300mm f/2.8 lens + 1.7x teleconverter
1/320 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1250

Virginia Rails, Soras, and King Rails are game species in many states. The following description of soras is one I found in a hunting magazine. “Soras are shy little birds. They are small, about the size of an English sparrow and sport a slate-gray chest and belly, brown-white-black speckled wings and back. Mother Nature outfitted soras with a black bib and face mask accentuated by a bright yellow bill. Their long legs are greenish gray and dangle awkwardly when rails flush and take wing. Once in the air, soras are not strong flyers, nor do they fly very far before settling back down. Their flight appears almost labored. Preferred sora habitat includes cattail marshes and moist soil environments where they can feast on seeds, rice, insects and aquatic invertebrates.” Link

Sora preening - Wakodahatchee Wetlands (FL) - January 2014
Nikon D7100, 500mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter
1/1250 sec at f/8, ISO 640

More about secretive marsh birds and their habitat in the next post.

Sora preening - Wakodahatchee Wetlands (FL) - January 2014
Nikon D7100, 500mm f/4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter
1/1000 sec at f/8, ISO 640

Sora - Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL) - April 2013
Nikon D7100, 300mm f/4 lens + 1.7x teleconverter
1/2500 sec at f/8, ISO 1600

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.