Photo and Text by Norris Dyer  At 9" inches, the Virginia Rail is slightly larger than the Sora. Both species like the shorelines of the freshwater channels that border the entrance. They feed on aquatic insects, snails or even crayfish. They prefer walking to swimming or flying and are most evident at the park in the fall/winter. Rails can move quickly in and out the reds often where no apparent openings exist, thus earning the expression "thin as a rail." This one is a juvenile, given its blacker underparts. The Virginia Rail can now be seen daily by the patient observer. |
At 9" inches, the Virginia Rail is slightly larger than the Sora. Both species like the shorelines of the freshwater channels that border the entrance. They feed on aquatic insects, snails or even crayfish. They prefer walking to swimming or flying and are most evident at the park in the fall/winter. Rails can move quickly in and out the reds often where no apparent openings exist, thus earning the expression "thin as a rail." This one is a juvenile, given its blacker underparts. The Virginia Rail can now be seen daily by the patient observer.
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