YELLOW BAIL 301 



The flight of the Sora is so slow and labored and the bird seems so reluctant 

 to use its wings that some writers have supposed that it was unable to fly 

 long distances and that its migration was therefore a series of short flights 

 or even performed on foot. As a matter of fact the Sora is among the long- 

 distance migrants, the most northern breeders traveling not less than 2,500 

 miles to the nearest winter home; and those wintering south of the equator 

 being at least 3,000 miles from the nearest breeding grounds. Thousands 

 make the hundred-mile flight between Florida and Cuba, and there is reason 

 to believe that many individuals easily achieve the 500-mile passage from 

 Florida to Yucatan, and the equally long journey from the West Indies across 

 the Caribbean Sea to South America (Cooke, 1914, p. 4). 



The food of the Sora consists mainly of insects, but snails and 

 other aquatic animals are taken. In the eastern states it is known to 

 be fond of wild rice, and doubtless here, too, vegetable matter forms 

 a good part of its food at certain times of the year. 



In the east thousands of Sora Rails were formerly killed by sports- 

 men and market hunters during the fall migration, when the birds 

 concentrated in the coastal marshes. Although easy to shoot, this 

 bird has been* highly prized by eastern sportsmen on account of its 

 attractiveness for the table. In California this rail is so scattered 

 in its distribution as not to have attracted concentrated attention from 

 hunters, and its numbers here do not seem to have been much affected 

 except as a result of the reclamation of marsh land. 



This species like the Virginia Rail seems to be pretty well able 

 to take care of itself, and unless more aggressive means are taken for 

 its destruction it may well be expected to persist in fair numbers 

 within our state. There is no data at hand which will allow of a 

 statement as to the exact status of the Sora Rail in California at the 

 present time. The rapid rate of reproduction, as indicated by the 

 large average complement of eggs laid, would seem to guarantee a 

 large annual crop of Soras, if breeding conditions were favorable 

 over extensive areas. 



Yellow Rail 



Coturnicops novehoracensis (Gmelin) 



Othee name — Ortygops noveboraeensis. 



Description — Adults, hoth sexes: Top of head and whole of upper surface 

 including tail, blackish, broadly streaked with yellowish brown (as feather 

 margins), and barred narrowly with pure white; the bars are sparsest, or 

 even wanting, on top of head, and most distinct and widest separated on 

 lower back; sides of head and neck, continuous with breast, yellowish brown, 

 with regions immediately below eye and between eye and bill, dusky; chin 

 white or buflfy white; iris brown; bill " greenish -black, with the base dull 

 yellowish-orange" (Audubon, 1842, V, p. 153); outer surface of closed wing 

 like back; flight feathers slaty brown except for white patch formed by white 



