Tag Archives: sora south carolina

Birding Trips in SC, Birdwatching News

Enjoying time with a Sora in South Carolina

By Sally Siko

Here’s a bird that I’m looking forward to seeing again this spring, the Sora.
I photographed this handsome fella at Huntington Beach SP last April.
I’d never been able to get a clear look of one until that day so it was incredibly rewarding to photograph this bird as he picked his way through the grassy shoreline of the marsh pond.
Such a fun moment!



Primarily found in the eastern counties of the Carolinas, Soras inhabit freshwater marshes, swamps, and wetlands with dense vegetation, where they can hide and forage for food.
They are voracious eaters of insects, seeds, and aquatic vegetation, foraging by picking food from the water’s surface or probing that bright yellow bill into soft mud in search of a snack.



At a length of around 8” these birds are relatively small. Their diminutive size combined with a proclivity to sneaking around dark tangled reeds makes them kind of tough to see.
Yet despite being secretive, Soras are known for their distinctive whinnying call, which they use to communicate with each other. This means you can locate one by listening for them whenever your birding in their favored habitats.

Soras are a winter and spring resident of the Carolina’s with peak sightings occurring in April.
This means you’ve got about 6 weeks or so to enjoy them before they head north for their breeding season ahead.
Aren’t they lovely?
Btw, I’ve got several South Carolina group birding trips available for booking this year so if you’d like to join me to go bird watching in the low country this year, check the link below for my tour schedule and details.

Go Birding With Me: Best Life Birding Trips, Guided Group Birding Tours & Bird Photography Workshops



Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

A Sora encounter at Huntington Beach State Park- why we go birding

It’s not often that I’ll post about the same species twice in one month but I was thrilled to get another look at a Sora this past weekend while birding at Huntington Beach State Park in SC.
The ones that I spotted a few weeks ago were mostly hidden in between a dark mass of reeds so seeing a Sora out in the open was super cool!
It’s funny to me that I’ve spent years looking for Soras and had never seen one until last month and now I’ve seen 4 in just the past couple weeks.
A lifer win.



Birding is a fun yet challenging thing.
The point of creating a list is to keep track of the date, location and numbers of various species that we see when out in the field.
Yet, the reasons why we do this may go deeper than a simple tally.
Some of us need a target to shoot for, it’s a numbers thing -an extension of the concept of “gamify everything”.
It can be a competitive mindset which drives us to want to be the number one lister in our county, state or country holding the record for rallying the highest number of birds per year.
Others relish the experience of traveling to far away strange places to see birds that we can’t see close to home.
It can be a need to SEE ALL THE BIRDS.
For some, birding is an escape from the stress of living in a world full of screens, social media, spreadsheets, a difficult home life and a 24hr sensationalized news cycle.
And yes, of course there are a zillion other reasons why we go birding.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that there is no wrong reason to go, rather it’s crucial that we heed the call to just go.
Breathe fresh air.
Feel sunlight on our faces.
Get lost.
Take photos.
Take notes.
See cool shit.
Learn and think about new things.



I’m grateful to be able to share my bird nerd stuff with you guys and I LOVE seeing all of your stories and photos too! There are some incredibly talented photographers out there.
I know I’m never alone even if I’m the only person out there for 50 miles who’s seeing a Sora for the very first time.
Glad you’re here for the ride 😉

So why do you go birding?
Leave a reply below 😉

Photos & video by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Birdwatching Tours in SC

Spending time with a Sora in SC

By Sally siko

After years of trying, I finally managed to grab a few photos of a Sora this morning while birding at the Pinckney NWR in SC.
I’d added this species to my list ages ago but somehow never had an opportunity to get a portrait of one.
This bird was scurrying in between the dense, dark cover of reeds so it was very difficult to photograph it but I’ll take what I can get!



Measuring about 8in (about the size of a Robin), Soras are small members of the rail family of birds.
As with other rails, Soras are best found hunting for a meal along the shorelines of reedy ponds, in swamps, wetlands, marshes, and other semi-aquatic habitats. Their favorite habitats have a variety of vegetation, including reeds, rushes, tall grasses, and cattails.
This species also inhabits farms and pastures in agricultural areas particularly flooded out fields or meadows.



With a range stretching across southern Canada, the entirety of the United States down into Mexico and Central America, Soras are perhaps the western hemispheres most common species of rail. That being said, their small size and secretive nature can make them a challenge to actually see!
Luckily they are pretty vocal and will respond to a sharp noise, like clapping your hands, whereupon all the Soras nearby will start peeping and whinnying in chorus, letting you know how numerous they really are.

Soras are a migratory visitor to the central and eastern counties of the Carolinas. The best time to look for them are now through early May and again from late August through early October.
You’ve got about 5 weeks to enjoy these birds here in the Tarheel state this spring so get out there and see them!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5