Sora

The sora is a small, secretive marsh bird, and it is far more often heard than seen. Its call is a descending whinny that carries over the cattails in the evening, and a clear sign that a marsh is healthy. If you are patient and lucky, you may see one stepping carefully along the edge of the reeds.

It has a short yellow bill, a black mask on the face, and long toes that spread its weight across floating plants. Soras are rails, with bodies that are thin from side to side, which helps them slip through dense vegetation. They arrive in Manitoba in May, nest in a basket of plants hidden in the marsh, and leave in September for the southern United States and beyond.

Here is one of my favourite frames of this bird.

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