Sora

The Sora is a casual visitor to campus: one was present in the ponds north of Badger Hill 30 Oct-19 Dec 2011, 30 Sep 2012, 25 Apr 2015, and 27 Jul-29 Sep 2016. It is a fairly common migrant and wintering bird in marshy wetlands throughout southern California, and a rare breeder at a few locations on the coast and in the mountains.The Sora can be identified by its short yellow bill, black face, mostly gray underparts, and brown and black upperparts. Because it spends much of its time within dense vegetation, its presence is often noted by its distinctive, descending whinny.