**Description:** A secretive, chicken-like marsh bird with a stubby yellow bill and a short, upturned tail.
**Size & Weight:** 8–10 inches long. Weighs 2–4 oz.
**Behavior:** Rarely flies; prefers to walk through thick vegetation. Known for a descending, whinny-like call heard at dawn and dusk.
**Identification:** Features a black mask extending from the bill to the throat. Often flicks its tail while walking.
**Habitat:** Densely vegetated freshwater marshes and cattail edges along the reservoir coves.