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What is a Jacana?

Debra Durkee
Debra Durkee

The jacana is a water bird found throughout the Southern Hemisphere. In one of the animal kingdom's prime examples of gender role reversal, the jacana has a mating and breeding season extremely different from most other birds. Jacanas rarely stray far from the water, and live much of their alternative lifestyle walking across lily pads or hiding underwater from predators.

Unlike many birds, the female is almost twice the size of the male. The female can reach a mature size of up to 23 inches (58 cm) in length, while the male is typically only between 6 and 15 inches (about 15 to 39 cm) in length. Both have compact bodies, long necks, and swan-like heads. They are well adapted to life on the water; the toes of the jacana are long, and can be spread out to cover an area up to 8 inches (about 20 cm) wide. This allows them to walk across floating plants such as lily pads, giving rise to their nickname, the lily-trotter.

Found in parts of South America, Africa, India, and Australia, this type of bird includes several different species. These include the pheasant-tailed, the Madagascar, and the wattled. Across the species, though, female jacanas dominate.

Frog
Frog

Throughout the breeding season, it is the job of the female to mate with as many different males as she can, and to lay an average of four eggs in the nest of each male. The eggs are abandoned by the female as she moves on in search of her next mate, and they are hatched, fed, and cared for by the male. Females have even been known to ransack other nests, smash eggs, or kill young, and then take possession of the male who had been watching the nest to mate with and lay her own eggs with. There is an extremely high mortality rate among the young, and it is thought that this female-dominated breeding pattern developed in the jacana in order to produce more eggs and ensure the success of the species.

The jacana can fly for only short distances, and is more frequently found strolling across the surface of the water of marshes or swampy areas in search of insects or along the shoreline looking for worms and crabs. It can often be seen looking underneath floating leaves for a meal. When threatened, the bird can dive underwater and remain there until the danger has passed, with only the tip of the beak showing enough to allow it to breathe. In sharp contrast to the female, the male is aggressively protective of his young; even though they can feed themselves and travel, he will remain with them for up to 70 days after hatching.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Jacana and where can it be found?

A Jacana is a group of wading birds known for their distinctive long toes and nails, which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. They are commonly found in tropical regions around the world, particularly in places like South America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Why do Jacanas have such long toes?

Jacanas have evolved long toes and nails to distribute their weight more effectively over a larger surface area. This adaptation allows them to walk on lily pads and other floating vegetation without sinking, which is crucial for foraging in their wetland environments. Their unique foot structure is a perfect example of nature's engineering.

What do Jacanas eat?

Jacanas are omnivorous birds that have a varied diet consisting mainly of insects, invertebrate prey, and seeds they find in their aquatic habitats. They forage by picking off insects from the surface of vegetation or water, and their diet can change seasonally depending on the availability of food sources.

How do Jacanas reproduce and raise their young?

Jacanas are known for their unusual mating systems, often being polyandrous, where one female mates with multiple males. The female lays eggs in nests built by males and then leaves the males to incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. This role reversal is quite rare among bird species.

Are Jacanas endangered?

The conservation status of Jacanas varies by species. While some species are stable, others face threats from habitat loss and degradation. For instance, the Comb-crested Jacana is listed as Least Concern, but the status can differ significantly for other species, highlighting the importance of wetland conservation for these unique birds.

What unique behaviors do Jacanas exhibit?

Jacanas are notable for their mating and parenting behaviors, where females are dominant and males take on the primary role in nurturing the young. Additionally, their ability to "walk on water" thanks to their long toes is a behavior that fascinates birdwatchers and illustrates the remarkable adaptations of species to their environments.

Discussion Comments

anon304633

What are the jacana's predators?

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