Sora and Virginia Rail: Cryptic Birds Of The Marsh

These 2 species in the rail family occur regularly in North America and are very cryptic, tending to hide well in their wetland habitat of tall, reedy marshes, so they are not often seen. One of these elusive species is the Sora, the whistled calls and whinnies of which are more often heard than the birds are seen. The Virginia Rail is another, relatively common rail of marshes, and equally elusive.