The Sora (Porzana carolina) is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.
Adults are brown on top and light underneath, with a blue-grey face and front. They have a short thick yellow bill, with black facial marking at the base. They have yellowish legs.
Their breeding habitat is marshes throughout much of North America. They nest in a well-concealed location in dense vegetation. The female usually lays 10 to 12 eggs, sometimes as many as 18, in a cup built from marsh vegetation. The eggs do not all hatch together. Both parents incubate and feed the young, who leave the nest soon after they hatch and are able to fly within a month.
These birds forage while walking or swimming. They are omnivores, eating seeds, insects and snails.
Although Soras are more often seen than heard, they are sometimes seen walking near open water. They are fairly common, despite a decrease in suitable habitat in recent times.
