It is more often heard than seen and gives one of the most distinctive calls of any marsh bird, a loud descending whinny call: whee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee. Vernacular names for this species include Carolina Rail, Soree, Meadow Chicken, and Ortolan. Notoriously hard to find.
I still can’t believe all the life in wetlands found at the side of roads we drive every day. For many years I drove right by, I had no idea, peacefully going about their lives and adding to the sounds of the frogs. Just down the road from home.
Never heard of them? Neither had I, however we have all heard them and mistaken them for frogs or just assumed we were hearing general marsh sounds. This is one of the many songs they sing:
The Sora is found in freshwater marshes, flood fields, and swamps, where they walk around like little chickens pecking at the water. The biggest threat to these birds is wetlands being drained, as this is where they nest. Having been over hunted, they have made a come back due to the high survival rate of chicks.
