RAILS: Family Ralltdae [ 2-33 ] 



of the surest guides to detecting its presence, if the observer is acquainted 

 with them. An intensive search of the marshy areas of the State would 

 undoubtedly add greatly to our knowledge of the status of the Virginia 

 Rail. 



Sora: 



Por^ana Carolina (Linnaeus) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adults: Upper parts olive brown, spotted with black and finely 

 lined with white; middle of crown, face, and throat black; breast and cheeks bluish 

 gray, sides barred black and white; belly whitish; middle of lower tail coverts buff. 

 Immature: similar to adult but without black face or bluish gray breast." (Bailey) 

 Downy young: "The downy young sora is completely covered with thick, glossy, 

 black down, except on the chin, which is ornamented by a small tuft of stiff, curly 

 hairs of a 'deep chrome' color." (Bent) Si%e: "Length 7.85-9.75, wing 4.15-4.30, 

 bill .75 .90, tarsus 1.2.5-1.35." (Bailey) Nest: Usually a fairly well-woven basket 

 of flags or tules, anchored to the growing vegetation of the marshes. Eggs: 6 to 18, 

 usually 10 or ix, buff ground color, irregularly spotted with browns of varying 

 shades. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from southern Canada to Lower California, Utah, 

 Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio Valley, and Maryland. Winters south into South 

 America. In Oregon: Summer resident in suitable marshes throughout State but 

 most common in Klamath, Lake, and Harney Counties. 



THE SORA, like the Virginia Rail, is without doubt much more abundant 

 than the available records indicate, for unless one has time to devote to 

 an intensive search of the marshes, it will seldom be seen. It is doubtless 

 the commonest rail in the State. Its center of abundance is the great 

 marsh country of south-central Oregon. Because of the lack of a suitable 

 habitat, it is not a common bird in western Oregon at present, although 

 Anthony (Bailey 1901) considered it as a tolerably common breeder in 

 the vicinity of Portland. Our earliest date is April 17 (Sherman County); 

 our latest, October 10 (Multnomah County); but records are too few to 

 do more than indicate vaguely its present status. 



Townsend (1839) made the first published reference to the Sora as an 

 Oregon bird. Merrill (1888) found it breeding at Fort Klamath, and 

 there is a set of eggs taken there June 2. and 3, 1883, in the United States 

 National Museum. Jewett found a nest at Klamath Falls on May 30, 

 1916, containing 12. eggs and another the next day a few miles east of that 

 town containing 3 eggs and 3 newly hatched young. Braly in 1930 took 

 four sets of eggs in Klamath County between May 16 and June 5, 1930, 

 and Patterson reported three sets in the same locality between May 2.0 

 and June 8. Preble in 1915 found it a fairly common species in southern 

 Malheur County and reported seeing young between July 12. and 14 at 

 Sheaville. The only recent records known to us from western Oregon are 

 those of a badly decomposed bird picked up in Portland and brought to 

 Gabrielson in 19x8 (October 10) and of two brought to Jewett in 1931 

 (April 2.4 and September 2.3). 



