2020 Bonanza Bird #8: African Jacana

Birdorable African Jacana

Today’s new species is a type of wading bird found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The African Jacana is easily recognized by its unique chestnut plumage, its blue beak and facial shield, and by those toes. Look at those crazy long toes!

African Jacanas feed on insects and other small organisms they glean from aquatic vegetation. Their long toes allow them to move across floating wetland vegetation by spreading their weight over a large area. Jacanas have precocial young, meaning chicks are able to walk around on their own shortly after hatching. You better believe they have long toes too, so they can follow dad around as he points out food to them.

Photo of a baby African Jacana
African Jacana Chick by Bernard DUPONT (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Yes, they follow dad around – African Jacanas have a sort of complete role reversal when it comes to breeding. Males care for the eggs and raise the chicks completely on their own.

Tomorrow we’ll add a tiny South American hummingbird with a crazy plumage, including tufts on the head and the neck. Do you know the species?

Cute African Jacana Gifts

Comments

Just Another Birder on December 1, 2020 at 3:58 PM wrote:
Oh cool! I'm glad to see that a jacana has been added. Is the next one a Tufted Coquette?
Spurwing Plover on May 19, 2022 at 7:06 AM wrote:
Papa on the nest he hatches the Eggs and raises the Young carries them back to the nest under his Wings

Leave a comment

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.
Your email address will not be published
You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

Kingfisher Extremes

This week, we’re celebrating the world’s kingfishers! There are about 90 species of kingfisher in the world. These darling birds are often colorful, and they can be found all around the world. Join us as we highlight kingfishers on the Birdorable blog this...

Martha Week: Endling -- The Last of Her Kind

Monday, September 1st will mark the 100 year anniversary of the death of Martha, the last of her species, the Passenger Pigeon. With her death our planet lost another species forever to extinction. This week we'd like to share some of the commemorative events and educational opportunities...

Birds and the Big 2024 Cicada Emergence: A Natural Feast

Periodical cicadas are among nature's most fascinating insects, with their synchronized emergences occurring every 13 or 17 years. These insects spend most of their lives underground as nymphs, feeding on tree roots. When they finally emerge, they transform the landscape in remarkable ways, not just for themselves, but...

2013 Bonanza Bird #20: Gray Catbird

We're adding a new species every day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today's Bonanza bird is the Gray Catbird. Gray Catbirds are migratory birds in the mimid family. Other mimids include mockingbirds and thrashers. Mimids are known...