Wattled Jacana

The Wattled Jacana, Jacana jacana, is a distinctive wader known for its striking appearance and remarkable adaptations to an aquatic life. Adults exhibit a chestnut back and wing coverts, contrasting with the predominantly black body. In flight, their greenish-yellow flight feathers catch the eye, as do the yellow bony spurs on the wing's leading edge, used for defense. A red coot-like head shield extends from the yellow bill, accompanied by a reddish wattle, while the legs and elongated toes are a muted blue-grey.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Wattled Jacana, look for the long toes and claws that enable it to traverse floating vegetation with ease. The adult's chestnut and black plumage is unmistakable, as is the red frontal shield and wattle. Juveniles can be recognized by the white underparts and any white present in their plumage.

Habitat

This species is adept at navigating the aquatic vegetation of its habitat, which spans across South America east of the Andes, western Panama, and Trinidad.

Distribution

The Wattled Jacana boasts a broad range, being the only member of the Jacanidae family to be found so extensively across South America, from Trinidad and western Panama down to northern Argentina and Uruguay.

Behaviour

Females of the species are larger than males and are known to form harems with up to four or five males. The Wattled Jacana exhibits a significant difference in size dimorphism, ornamentation, and defense mechanisms between sexes.

Song & Calls

The species is known for its noisy rattling calls, which resonate across its watery domain.

Breeding

In a remarkable reversal of typical bird roles, the male Wattled Jacana takes on incubation duties, holding two eggs between each wing and the breast. Females are polyandrous and will defend the nests of multiple mates.

Similar Species

While the Wattled Jacana is quite distinctive, it does have six subspecies that vary slightly in appearance. Notably, J. j. hypomelaena has black replacing chestnut plumage, and J. j. scapularis features some black feathers on chestnut shoulders and white outer primary feathers.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Wattled Jacana includes insects like beetles and grasshoppers, other invertebrates such as ticks and mollusks, small fish, and seeds. They forage on floating vegetation or skim the water's surface for their meals.

Conservation Status

The Wattled Jacana is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable population without immediate threats to its survival.