Identification - It is slightly smaller and plumper than a robin. In summer, the short yellow bill, the black face and throat, and the cocked tail are good field marks. The back is mottled brown, the neck and breast is gray, and the sides are barred. Sexes are similar in appearance.
Morsels - Rails, such as the Sora, are very secretive birds, more often heard than seen. The rail body is very narrow, hence the term "skinny as a rail." Their thin body is an adaptation that allows them to move quickly through the vertical marsh vegetation. They also have a claw-like attachment at the wrist, or bend of the wing, which helps them to move and even climb through dense marsh vegetation.
