CLIPBOARD

BREEDING BIRD: SORA (Porzana carolina) Description: This is a plump, hen-like marsh bird. Adults are gray-brown with streaking across back; gray chest and striped below. Black patch on face and throat fades to gray in winter. Yellow, chicken-like bill and greenish-yellow legs. Juveniles have tan chest and throat. Length: 8 3/4 inches. Habitat: Marshes, wet meadows and irrigated fields. Diet: Seeds and small aquatic invertebrates, including snails, shrimp and crayfish. Displays: Pair performs ritualized mutual preening, occasionally bowing and facing away. Nest: The nest, a securely-built basket of dead aquatic vegetation, sits six inches above water and is hidden under arching vegetation. Path to nest is often visible. Eggs: Tan and brown with brown markings. Length: 1.2 inches. Call: In winter, call is a descending wee-er or a whinny-like sound. When startled, call is a sharp keek . During breeding season, call is a plaintive, whistled ker-wee Notes: Adult iris color changes from reddish-brown to black in breeding season. Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160. Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis. Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).