tags: Sora, Porzana carolina, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Sora, Porzana carolina, photographed in San Bernard Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 2 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
A pudgy-bodied, short-tailed, short-billed bird creeping cautiously through the marsh is a crake. Only one species, Sora, combines a gray breast, markedly barred flanks, yellow bill, and black lores and throat. Young Soras are quite different, yellowish and brown overall, but still identifiable from the wavy barring on the flank and the irregular white spotting of the upperparts -- Yellow Rail has more finely marked flanks and conspicuous straw-colored braces on the back.
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It's a sora. Carolyn and I saw our first one this weekend, at Port Aransas. The mask and speckles identify it as a breeding adult. Other field marks are its yellow bill and feet.
I thought some sort of rail, judging from shape, apparent habitat. How about a Sora? Black face, chin, gray chest, white highlights on primaries.
Sora, with a nice, subtle use of flash fill by the shooter ...
an incredibly-difficult bird to photograph in the great pacific northwet. i've only done so twice (consecutive days) several years ago. even virginia rails, a specie that doesn't like me when i have my camera out, is nicer :)
Its a Sora alright, in breeding plumage.