Virginia Rail

Lisa Sickorez spotted this bird along the path by the golf course on Sandhill Road, just before the bridge over the creek. Its identy remained a mystery until consulting Steve Rottenborn, who explained: "Now is the time of year when I start finding migrant Virginia rails and soras under wires in the Bay Area. Usually I find them closer to the edge of the bay, but these poor birds are such weak fliers that apparently during their nocturnal migration, they fly low enough to hit wires." (Steve is a wildlife ecologist who has studied birds of the San Francisco Bay area since 1992.)

If you see a Virginia rail or sora, (hopefully alive!) it would be great to hear about it. You can submit your observation by clicking on the link. Thanks!

Photo by Lisa Sickorez