What does the Sora sound like at night?
Press play. If that is the sound outside, you have your answer — the Sora's "KEE-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee".
What you're hearing
A rapid, staccato series of 7–10 notes that starts high and cascades lower in pitch, reminiscent of a horse’s whinny. Given mostly by males at dawn and dusk during breeding season.
“KEE-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee”
Birders often file this one under Descending Whinny.
What time of night you hear it
Dusk and after dark in freshwater marshes, spring through early fall.
Northbound migrants appear from March–May; peak nesting June–July. Southbound movement begins August, with most gone from northern marshes by late October. Winter birds are largely sedentary until spring.
Why a Sora calls at night
A descending whinny that spills down the scale like a horse laughing in the cattails — both sexes give it. The other one is a clear, rising ker-WEE. Soras are far more often heard than seen, and the marsh gets noticeably louder once the light goes.
What else could it be?
The other voices you are most likely to hear in the dark. Play them and compare.