Wattled Jacana

Overview

The wattled jacana (Jacana jacana) is a wader in the family Jacanidae found throughout much of South America east of the Andes, as well as western Panama and Trinidad. It is the only species in the Jacanidae family with such a large distribution.

Identification

• Adults have a chestnut back and wing coverts, with the rest of the body mainly black, while greenish yellow flight feathers are obvious in flight.
• Features include a yellow bill extending up as a red coot-like head shield and a reddish wattle, along with dull blue-grey legs and very long toes.
• Yellow bony spurs on the leading edge of the wings are visible and used for defense.
• Young birds can be identified by the presence of white in their plumage, particularly white underparts.
• The species produces a range of noisy rattling calls.

Habitat

This species is found throughout much of South America east of the Andes, as well as western Panama and Trinidad. It is the only species in the Jacanidae family with such a large distribution.

Diet

The wattled jacana eats insects such as beetles, grasshoppers and crickets, other invertebrates like ticks and mollusks, small fish, roots and seeds. These are picked from floating vegetation or the water's surface.

Did you know?

The female is larger than the male and forms harems of up to four or five males at any given time, with the male taking sole responsibility for incubation. The name "Jacana" comes from the Tupi word ñaha'nã, meaning "very loud bird".